Lunadimension Neptunia
by Zidawn
Summary: I never thought I'd end up in a place like Gamindustri after touching a crystal. This is a chance for me to start a new life away from Lluna, my home dimension. But then people from my dimension follow me, along with someone unexpected. Will they force me to use "it" again? These new people—I can't let them get involved. Although I might be the one who's getting involved instead.
1. New Encounters

**I own nothing in the Neptunia franchise. Only the OC's, plot, and ideas. Anything else might be references to different animes, games, music, etc.**

 **I'll be leaving this chapter as is until I've got better grounds about the character and the world around. It might take a long time, so for now, enjoy chapter~**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _New Encounters_

While dusting my shelf filled with gifts I received from my travels in Lluna, a small rectangular picture frame got hit with my feather duster and crash onto the floor. My hand reaches out for it almost instinctively. Somewhere in the back of my head, I was hoping the glass didn't break. Lucky, it didn't.

I sigh in relief, wipe the sweat off my forehead, but grip the picture frame after seeing the photo inside it.

Standing in the picture is a blond woman wearing a white dress, a tiara sitting on her long hair with curly ends, and a beaming smile on her face.

It isn't just her though. Right beside her is another girl this time with black hair who's wearing a pink dress instead. Then, right behind her is another blond woman, but her outfit is more refined than the other two. Of course she had to. she is the queen after all. The king has his arm on the queen's waist, giving off an aura of great authority. No one ever dared to defy him, but he is very kind at heart.

I place the picture frame back at the shelf and resume dusting. The shelf has various items on it. Trophies, hand-written letters, beaten stuffed toys, folding umbrellas that can spew out fireballs, odd antiques, and picture frames with pictures inside them. Each of them had their divisions for themselves.

Other than the one picture frame that fell earlier, there is another one, this time it's an oval shape, that's covered with so much dirt that even I don't get how it got them in the first place. But after blowing most of the dust away, coughing as I did, it reveals four kids next to each other. My heart warms up seeing it, yet thorns entangle it as well. Out of the four of them, one little boy has an eye patch on his left. This was the first time his smile was ever captured.

 _My_ smile, I think.

"Maki!" A woman's voice calls, knocking on the door. "I know you're in there!" She knocks again three times.

"Don't knock too hard." I walk towards the door, feather duster still in hand, and open it. "I just repaired this thing. Getting the materials to fix it isn't cheap, you know?"

"Sorry, just got too excited, I guess." She sticks her tongue out.

This woman is the shopkeeper of the village nearby. She's usually wearing a brown tunic, but instead, she wears a mix of light orange and yellow shoulder-less sweater made of cotton. Her brown hair has a flower clip on one side of her bangs.

I let her in and she sits on the small chair next to the unlit fireplace. She places a hand-size leather bag in the rectangular table in front of her. "Here's your order~" she chimes as she slams the table as though she won a game of chess.

"Alice," I say as I go back to dusting the shelf. "Just let me pay that. It's no trouble. I mean it." But she just shakes her head no.

"No way. This is the least I can do for you. After all, those crates can't walk back here from the kingdom. And I can't carry them myself, even with a carriage. Besides," she sinks onto the chair, "I owe you more than you think."

"But you don't have a lot of customers, do you?"

"Don't worry about that. It'll be fine." She runs a hand on a part of her hair, pushing it behind her ear. The teardrop earring swings as she did. "Anyway, this is not the only reason I'm here for."

I raise an eyebrow. This is new to me. Alice never had any other reason to visit my house, until today that is. I set the feather duster down on the same table and take the seat opposite of her. "Well?" I say. "Let's hear it."

She nods and says, "Are you really planning to go?" This takes me back, but at the same time, relief. Not because she's curious about where I'm going, but because she knows that it's this exact moment when that 'thing' happened. Something that not even I'm comfortable talking about, even if it is her. But I don't need to tell her and she doesn't need to ask what it is.

Because she already knows.

"I am," I answer. "If it's true, then I won't let that chance slip by."

"And nothing will stop you?"

"Nothing."

"Then take me with you."

"Wha—" I'm at a loss for words. She brings this up so abruptly that I think the cowlick on my read hair twitched. "Take you with me? Are you insane?"

"No, just crazy." She giggles, but this is neither the right moment to joke around. But to my dismay, she's not joking. "I'm being serious here. If you won't let me come with you, then I'll just follow you. How about that?"

"No matter what?"

"No matter what."

Sometimes I worry for this woman. One thing I've known about her is that there's no point in persuading her off once she sets her mind on something. I want to keep on rejecting her, but then I thought of how long it's been since the two of us went to places together. I stare at her brown eyes, with my usual 'smile' and say, "You can come."

"Like I said, I won't listen to—wait, what?!" She grabs the armrests like she's bracing for impact and leans forward. "I can, I can come?" I nod.

She jumps out of her seat and tackles me in one of her hugs again. I pat her head. "Get your things ready. We'll be leaving once the moon shows up." Letting go and scrambling to her feet, Alice jogs for the door. But before she closes the door, she looks back at me and smiles.

"Let's meet at that spot." Once the words come out of her mouth, she runs off, slamming the door behind her.

I place the bag Alice left behind in one of the pockets of my white coat that's hanging on the wooden rack near the door where she left and go to take a shower. Once I'm out, I take the coat off the rack and make my way towards the spot she mentioned.

~0~0~0~

Somewhere in the distance, just as the sky turns dark and the stars begin to show up, Alice runs to my direction with a purse strapped and dangling in one of her shoulders.

If anyone spots us here right now, they might mistake us as couples having a date or something, even though we're not. I might be overthinking this, but I can't help but think about it.

The spot we said we'd meet is in Lunelit Forest, where my house is at as well. It's a clearing with a tree stump somewhere near the center. This is our favorite spot and where we mostly doze off when things get boring. But today, we're not here to laze around again. Although, it feels weird for this place to become a waiting spot. Perhaps we're betraying it or something? I think we are. Who knows?

"Sorry, I'm late!" she gasps and pants for breath. I take out a handkerchief and wipe the sweat on her face.

"You could've just walked. I wasn't going to head off without you or anything . . ."

Smacking my arm with her purse, she pouts and says, "You were totally thinking about it! Admit it. You can't just do that to a really cute girl, you know?"

"Ah, crap, I've been found out!"

Both of us stare at each other before bursting out in laughter. I guess since it's been so long since we've been like this that something as simple and stupid as this is comforting. And since Alice knows where we're going, we may never find a chance like this again once we arrive there.

As we walk towards our destination, a familiar row of apple trees come into view. The way it's displayed, one could say it's a beautiful sight especially since it's the night. But not me. It only raises the dread inside me, haunting me as though it's bashing on my door and trying to force its way in. It doesn't stop no matter how hard I try, but I still make an effort to ignore it.

It'd be nice if this did last for a while or better yet, never. But that's just wishful thinking, and I know it. For at the end of the row of trees are rubbles of gray bricks mixed with black scattered around the grassy plains.

However, that wasn't the reason for the clutch in my heart. It was the three gravestones sitting on top of the hill.

The graves would've been covered in ridiculous amounts of moss if it weren't for me maintaining them. Alice said back then that I don't have to do it if I didn't want to or if it's too much, but I did it anyway. Not because of pity or because I was asked to do it, it just felt right. The right thing to do. My purpose.

Before arriving, I already bought a bouquet of roses from the village flower shop earlier. To be honest, though, I was expecting to clash onto Alice while I was there, but she took longer than expected, so I decided to wait at the spot instead.

Splitting the bouquet, I place the roses in each of the graves. There's no special meaning behind this. I just know it's their favorite flowers. Just a simple gift. Nothing else.

"Maki, look! There's something over here!" Alice shouts.

There's usually nothing worth noting around here, so hearing her say there's something around raises my curiosity. How would I know? Simple. I'm the only one cutting the grass around here. So, I'd pretty much know what's here and whatnot. But once I catch up with Alice, who's running forward with me trailing behind, I'm left speechless.

Something—or in this case—a temple stands tall in front of us. I'd take this time to register what's in front of me, but Alice wouldn't let me. To prevent me from thinking, she charges in the temple without warning, and I follow her.

Once again, tailing behind, I chase Alice through the interior of the temple. The walls are mostly white and some vines are covering it, but I didn't pay it attention because if I did, I'll lose sight of Alice. And I'm not letting that happen. If anything, I'd prefer to smash through the walls just to close in the distance between us. Damn that woman for having fast legs.

When her figure disappears to a corner, I stomp the ground harder with each step. However, once I go around the corner, my body collides with Alice's and sends us tumbling the ground.

"Ow," I rub my head. "Why d'you run off like that?!" I knew I shouldn't have brought her. She might be someone I know for a long time now, but this is just asking for trouble. Way too much than what I asked for. It wouldn't matter to me if she just wanted to come along, but this goes beyond that. And I won't take no for an answer.

"Something's over there." Alice points a finger on a pedestal sitting in the middle of this wide room. At this moment, the sky is already dark with the moon being the only thing giving us light.

I squint my eye on the pedestal. Sure enough, something is floating on top of it.

However, it's way too suspicious. It's just eerily shining and sitting on the pedestal. Whatever it is, the last thing I want to do is touch it. But my body moves on its own and approach the pedestal. I'm raising doubts, but at the same time, I also want to find out what it is and what it's doing here. It's calling for me, and I think it's the same for Alice. She's inching her way towards it, a bit further forward than I am, and stretches a hand once she gets there.

But the back of my mind keeps on screaming to get her out of there.

Adrenaline rushes through my body and forces my legs to run towards her. "Get away from that thing!" I push her away, but the momentum didn't let me stop. And it's at that moment when I touch the glowing rock that has an odd circle shape with a line on it. The whole room engulfs in white light.

"Maki!" Alice's voice is starting to fade. Then in the next moment, my vision goes from seeing the white light to the empty darkness. It's consuming me, my entire body. But I didn't care.

She's safe, and that's all that matters. Never again, I think. Never again.

~0~0~0~

Opening my eye, the sun's beam forces me to squint. I turn my body to get under the shade of a nearby tree. If it's already morning, then that means I must've slept on the grass for the whole night. Not the best position I found myself in. Not indeed.

"Are you awake?" The moment the voice reaches my ears, my body jerks upright. I regret doing so as a jolt of pain stings my head.

"Ugh." I would ask where I am, but there's just one thing on my mind that overpowers it instead. "Alice, is she safe?" I shake my head to get rid of the stinging, and it somewhat works, but then my heart sinks when she's nowhere around. But I'm sure she was safe. She had to be.

"Er, I don't know who's that, but I'm sure she's alright." I couldn't agree more. After all, that strange white light didn't exactly hurt, nor did it do anything to my body. Now I just need to find her.

I stand and stretch my body. Nothing's out of place, and moving around doesn't cause any negative feedback. Good, I think. This'll do. "Well, I'll be off then. Although, I'd like to ask where's the direction towards Lunelit Forest. I'm not sure where I am, so I'd appreciate the help." Besides, I'd rather ask someone directions instead of blindly wandering around without a lead. Finding Alice takes priority than my pride.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know where those places are." Is this person being serious with me right now? Or is it to insult me? Either way, it's not funny.

"Look," I turn around to face the person behind me, "it's important for me to—"

"Um, are you alright, mister?"

No matter how much I try to get the words out, my lips just won't stop quivering. The more I try to get the words out, the more my eye widens. Part of me wants to punch my cheeks, another part wants me to look away. Yet my eye is stuck. Not even if an arrow passes through my cheek, maybe even graze it, it wouldn't make me budge.

Not even a little.


	2. Not in Lluna, Now in Gamindustri

**Chapter 2**

 _Not in Lluna, Now in Gamindustri_

I wipe my right eye, and sure enough, the person in front of me is not her—not what I expected. For a moment, I was about to fling myself towards her, but when I noticed the shade of purple on her hair, I restrain myself. But it's still hard to believe, and the words still escape my mouth despite my efforts to keep them in.

"P-Princess?"

"Wh-what the goodness?" She takes a step back. "U-um, I'm sorry but I think you've got the wrong person. I'm no princess."

Scratching the back of my head underneath my red hair, my eye darts in different directions. She's right about one thing. Mistaking her for someone else is vulgar, and I can't forgive myself for that display. Alice would smack my head if she was here. I'd make it up to her somehow, but it's difficult to know how since it's our first time meeting each other. Clearing my throat, I extend a hand to her. Nothing comes to mind on what to do to make it up to her, so instead, it might be more reasonable to change the topic entirely. She smiles, takes my hand, and we shake hands.

"Forgive me," I say. "You just reminded me of . . . a family of mine." Not a lie, but not true either.

She shakes her head. "It's all right."

A few moments of silence passes, the breeze whistling our ears, and I scratch my head. Silence, when I'm alone, is comforting, but along with another person is plain awkward for me. "A-anyway," I say. "You said you didn't know where Lunelit Forest is, correct? Well, I won't blame you. I'll just try to find something familiar to recall and find my way from there. Don't worry, I know Lluna more than the next person. There's no place I wouldn't know.

I walk away, but the girl calls out, stopping me in my tracks. I turn to her. "Anything wrong?"

"Can I ask you a question?" she asks. Perhaps she's the lost one? I wouldn't mind giving her at least some general directions of other places. North or south, that's about how vague of an answer I can give her unless I figure out where in Lluna am I.

"Go ahead. What's your question?"

"What's Lunelit Forest?"

Guess I should've expected this. It's been a while since my last travel, so I completely forgot that Lunelit Forest is not exactly a well-known touring spot. There were only four people who went there to visit my house. Although, only two of them were the ones frequently visiting. Alice is one of them.

"Other than being a forest, it's where I live. If you want to know where it is, it's near Aurora village. Ask the people there and they'll point you where it's located."

She lets out a nervous laugh. "I . . . don't think there's anything like that in Gamindustri." Gamindustri?

"What do you mean? This is Lluna, isn't it?" She shakes her head. "Really?" I scan the surroundings again. Sure enough, the plains and tree patterns look nothing like the ones in my memories. I shift my head, looking for any familiarity among them—the colors of the grass; the way the plains are elevated—unfortunately, there's nothing. This makes me want to question her about some stuff, but decide to hold it off for now. I may be on a different continent. Although, even then, that's next to impossible. There are no other continents besides Lluna I know of.

I'd be more excited about this discovery if it wasn't for the fact that my sword is not on my waist to help me fend off any sort of weird trouble.

But even then, I wouldn't be able to unsheathe from its scabbard in the first place.

"Maybe we can ask Histoire about it?" she suggests.

"Histoire?"

"Oh, she's Planeptune's Oracle." Planeptune? Oracle?

"I-I see . . ." It might be better if I go along with whatever she says for now, even if it's strange, but if it'll help my situation, then I'll take it. It's better to have a lead instead of not. And who knows? Maybe Histoire is their leader or something and can maybe help me out.

"Oh," she perks up, "we haven't given our names yet." I don't see it as relevant, but I guess calling her 'that girl' all the time will get annoying at some point. She starts, "I'm Nepgear. Nice to meet you."

". . . And? What's your Title?"

"Title?" She doesn't know what Titles are? With how nice and proper on how she looks and dress, surely she'd have some kind of Title. "I'm a CPU Candidate if that's what you're referring to. Of Planeptune, by the way."

"Well, nevermind that. Just call me Maki." I bow to her. It was a stupid gesture, and unnecessary, but my body moved on its own. It made Nepgear laugh the same way earlier. Realizing this, I regain posture and cough. "Well, why don't we continue talking on the way to the Basilicom you speak of." She nods and leads the way, with me trailing from behind.

A few moments ago, I was chasing after a certain unpredictable shopkeeper, and then I find myself outside with another girl who's not Alice. What caused this to happen in the first place?

But before anything else, I'm going to need information. To find my way back, it's not a big deal if I ask other people's assistance, but honestly, I hate doing it.

Even still, Alice is still back at that mysterious place, and who knows what'll happen to her when she's all alone there? Or worse, something did happen to her and I'm not there to stop it. She can't fight monsters nor navigate her way around that place. Shaking my head, I squeeze my balled-up hands. It doesn't matter what it takes, I just need to know if Alice is safe or not.

No matter what, I have to get back.

However, along the way, while Nepgear has her head to the side, she suddenly shouts, "Ah, watch out!"

I turn around when the words reached me; a small blue creature is already dangerously close to me. My body instantly performs a pirouette that makes the monster miss me, then Nepgear pulls out a blade and slashes it down. The creature disperses to strange particles once it makes contact with the glowing blade.

"That was close," I say. "Thanks, Nepgear."

"You're welcome. But was that movement you did? I've never seen anyone dodge like that. It looks so . . . soft."

"For one thing, it's from something called a ballet." I pause for a moment and shrug. "Well, since you're already asking, it won't hurt if I tell you. I'm the Sword Dancer."

"Sword Dancer?"

"That's right. But, oh, don't think about it too much. There's no real special meaning behind it. Just think of it as some kind of aesthetic or something from where I'm from."

"Uh, okay. If you say so."

Once the commotion dies down, we resume walking, this time I match her pace instead of lagging. While beside her, both of us make small talks until we reach our destination.

The moment we arrive, in an instant, the scenery before me brings me in a trance. Not because of the tall buildings, people floating around in weird tubes, not even the large screens everywhere. No, those aren't it. It's because the sight reminds me of the first time I went to a kingdom; the first time I walked through a street filled with people. Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day I see myself walking along with these kinds of streets again.

"This way," Nepgear says, pulling me out of my trance. She leads me through the busy streets, occasionally turning through corners until we reach a large tower.

"Is this the Basilicom?" I ask.

"It is. Come in, Histoire should be at the top." The _top_? Not just any floors, but at the top? How rich are these people? She pushes the double glass doors and enters while I follow suit.

The interior is quite simpler than how I imagined it, but at least that'll make it less complicated for me if I need to come back here if I ever need to. The people around, wearing white with some purple in some parts of their outfit, greets Nepgear as we head towards the elevator, as she calls it.

The metal doors opening and we step in the elevator. Nepgear pushes a button on a panel and the doors close immediately after. Then, after a few moments, my head starts getting pushed down. Nepgear takes notice of this though.

"Not used to elevators?"

I nod while holding on the glass walls that show the view of the ocean-like city. "Never been to one is more accurate." Although, it does beat climbing an endless spiral of stairs.

Releasing my grip from the glass, I instantly regret the action as the elevator comes to an abrupt halt, causing my head to stir. I shake my head and step out with Nepgear at the front again.

Once we reach a door after going through a large hallway and a large room that's similar to those chapels, Nepgear twists the doorknob and peeks in. "Histoire? I'm back."

"Welcome home, Nepgear." A floating book descends in front of us. Upon closer inspection, a small blond girl in pigtails sits on top of the pages. Her outfit consists of a purple dress with white frills and a blue necktie. I kind of find it funny how she has some kind white headdress on her head. Makes her look like a doll of some sort. Not only that, however, she has fairy wings on her back. Does that make her some kind of fairy?

"Wait, so Histoire is a fairy?" I ask.

"Close," Histoire says. "I am a tome. Don't let these wings fool you. They don't necessarily aid me in staying afloat." She looks at Nepgear, then back to me. "And who might you be?" I'm sure she's referring to me.

"Name's Maki. It's a pleasure to meet you. Listen, if you don't mind answering, just tell me one thing. This place—this continent—it's not Lluna, is it?"

"No, certainly not."

My head drops. Well, it shouldn't be surprising at this point, but hearing it from her directly somehow didn't help with accepting that fact at all. But that's not important right now. I've got other problems.

"Where do you think he came from?" Nepgear asks.

"It's only a theory, but it's possible that he came from a different dimension." Different dimension? "I have no records of a different continent elsewhere other than Gamindustri, and this isn't the first time this happened. This is the only conclusion I can come up with at the moment."

"So, you're telling me I'm from a different world? Like out of my world?"

"In simpler terms, yes."

That sounds way too bizarre to believe, but she's right about one thing. There's no possible way for another continent to exist outside of Lluna. I've traveled the seas before but never came across a different continent.

"There may be an Histoire in your dimension," Histoire explains.

"Is there really someone like you from his dimension?" Nepgear asks. "I thought you're only able to record what happens in Gamindustri."

"Don't be silly. While that may be true, it doesn't mean it's the same for the other me in different worlds."

"O-oh, right. Sorry."

Histoire turns her attention to me. "I'll try to find a way for you to get back to your dimension. Until then, you can stay in the guest room here. Please make yourself at home." To be honest, this place is a big gap compared to my own house.

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"Three days at a minimum." That was a fast answer.

"What's the maximum then?"

"Three years." Regardless of her answers, I've no idea how long those things are. Are there no moon charts around here? "Nonetheless, it will take time."

I can't wait any longer than it is already! Alice could already be in danger for all I know. "Isn't there any way to speed things up?"

"I apologize, but there's nothing else I can do about it."

"Nothing huh?" No point in pushing it any further. If I lose my head here, I might never get anything done, and I don't want that happening again. Not like back then.

"So, in the meantime, I will allow you to stay at this Basilicom. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask."

"I won't, thanks."

Although her offer entices me, the amount of shock it'll give me might be too much, especially if I sleep in an extravagant place such as this all of a sudden. If I could, I would prefer to lie on a clearing instead. Strange, maybe, but a bed—even if it's comfy—won't help me sleep at all.

"Ah!" Nepgear yelps.

"What's the matter, Nepgear?" Histoire asks.

"I forgot I to pick up Neptune from her usual spot. Sorry, I'll head there now."

Histoire grumbles. "Please convince her to actually do her work as a CPU while you're at it."

"I will."

"Hold on," I say. "Let me come with you."

"I don't mind," Nepgear replies. "But why though? There's nothing much to it other than picking up my sister from her favorite place."

"There's no big reason. I just thought maybe I could explore the city while I'm here." And I do need some space to cool myself down. The last thing I need to show Alice is me with an anxious face. She might feel bad about it. Although, if she's fine, she'll laugh at my worries; if she's not, I might flip out. That's something I can't let myself happen again.

And also, remaining idle in a house—or tall building in this case—won't do any good for me anyway. Last time I tried doing that it ended up with me just cleaning the whole place. One time when I visited her shop in the village, Alice mentioned that I'm like some kind of housewife sometimes, and it might be true. If I see a broom somewhere in the corner, even if it's just the stick, as long as it gets me moving, then it'll do.

We head back to the elevator and go back down. Although, if I'm going to continue to visit them, it's going to take some time to get used to it. Mostly nausea though.

Once we reach outside, we head off to a different direction from where we came from earlier (or maybe I forgot where we came from in the first place?). The buildings are quite different from earlier, but maybe it's because of the scenery changes when walking back and forth.

After rounding a couple of corners, something inside me starts to give off an itchy feeling inside. It's hard to tell whether it's because I haven't had any tea yet or something else entirely.

"Er, Nepgear?" I ask.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Would it be fine with you if we split for now? There's something I want to check out."

"I don't mind, but will you be okay?"

"I can get back to the Basilicom. The building is quite big anyway, and it shouldn't be hard to find. Just worry whatever you're going to do. I'll meet you back there."

"Alright. See you later then."

We wave each other goodbye and walk in opposite directions after a crossroads. Nepgear takes left and I take right. While walking, I glance back one more time behind me; Nepgear does the same and waves again. Even though I mistook her earlier, she does resemble the Princess to some degree.

Unlike the first time I walked on these streets, it was full of people; however, on this part, only a few people stroll around either to get somewhere or doing the same thing as me. Busy street, empty street, it doesn't make any difference for me. The pavement is just there to help get people somewhere. Nothing more, nothing less.

But the way people move around or the occasional shout from small groups of them, it's more likely that the last thing on their minds is survival.

It just makes it less like Lluna. And it's not because of the buildings, the people, nor the large tubes above. Everyone's so . . . contented. Not my best description, but it's not like my village. No one's on edge, no one's looking behind their backs every few steps, no one's glaring at everyone they see. Almost like a paradise.

This makes the heavy feeling in my chest to grow.

When I reach another corner, my head bumps into another person's head. Hard.

"Ack!"

"Kyaa!"

The impact staggers me back, but not enough to lose my balance. I can't say the same for the other person, however.

"Ugh . . . Are you alright?" I ask the light creamy pink-haired girl sitting on her red skirt on the ground and extend a hand to her.

She rubs her head and takes my hand. "I'm okay." While dusting off her shoulder-less sweater with the same color scheme as her hair, she adjusts the black headband with a C tilted on her head back in place. Then she pulls a small bag on her hip up to her waist.

"Sorry," she says, "I wasn't paying attention and didn't see you, um . . ."

"Maki. Name's Maki. And also, don't worry about it. It was my fault as well. If you weren't paying attention, then what were you thinking about? Oh, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm just curious is all."

She shakes her head. "It's fine. By the way, I'm Compa. Nice to meet you. Let's see . . . I was just thinking about how I can help a patient out in the hospital I work at."

"Full or part-time?"

"Part-time. I'm still in training, but I want to help people when they're hurt. So I'm studying really hard to pass."

"That's a nice goal."

"What about you? What kind of goal do you have?"

My goal? Actually, what do I want to do? Alice does take priority, but I can't do anything about it right now. But other than that, all I've ever done was clear out any pesky monsters around the forest I live in and sometimes take the ones around the nearby Aurora village to whenever I could. There's no payment from those, but I'm not interested in money anyway. I just do them to get myself moving.

Histoire offered to get me back to Lluna, but once I find out if Alice is fine or not, what do I do then? And if she is fine, then do I just go back to my routine? Nothing else but clear monsters all day without a purpose?

Sure, I have a house back there, but it's nothing more than a quick rendezvous for supplies than anything else. It's not a big loss if I can't go back there.

"I don't know," I say.

"You don't?" Compa asks. "Don't you have any dreams?"

"Not really." I never bothered to. There's just no point to it. What good does it do for you if your dream is impossible to chase?

My dream—I've thrown it a long time ago.

"Then what do you want to do?" she asks.

"What do I want to do?"

I shake my head. "I don't know."

The question is still the same as asking for my dream, but it doesn't feel like this is the first time I heard of it. Alice never asked me about it, not even my parents. The words are so nostalgic. I've heard this before, but I don't know who or when. Just where—

" _Is that what you want to do_?"

" _Not really_."

" _Then what do you want to do_?"

I slap a hand on my head. Images flash before me, but the shapes are all distorted. However, the voices were loud and clear. I know what this is, yet I don't want to know it at the same time. Shaking my head, I bite the bottom of my lip. The throbs on my head make it hard to tell how hard I'm biting.

"Are you okay?" Compa asks nervously. "You don't look so good. Ah, your mouth's bleeding!"

"It's fine," I say in a muffled tone while still biting.

"Let me wipe the blood off." She grabs some kind of tissue from her small waist bag and rubs the blood off my mouth that changes the white sheet to dark red. The way she wipes with the tissue with vigor causes me to grab her wrist and take the tissue.

"I'll wipe." Then I finish wiping the remaining blood with less force.

"Don't you need to go somewhere?" I ask, changing the topic. "I don't want to keep you from where you're going."

She shakes her head. "It's alright. I was just going to visit an old playground I used to play on when I was a kid."

"Reminiscing or something?"

"Well, that's part of the reason. I heard it was gonna be torn down to make space, so I wanted to take one more good look at it before it goes."

"Mind if I come?"

"Sure, let's go."

Along the way to the playground, we make small talks while I make sure to leave anything that suggests that I'm not a resident here out. Although, it's quite fun talking to her. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Nepgear's boring, but there's just something about Compa that's . . . natural, to say the least.

It doesn't take us long to arrive at our destination. And like the description Compa told me, the playground is very old. Only one of the two swings are functional, a rusty seesaw, and a slide covered with mud and leaves. No one's going to want to sit there. I'm sure of it. Because I won't, that's for sure.

"This brings back so much memories," Compa says while brushing one side of her hair.

"Is there really a point for you to go here? Won't you get sad knowing it'll be gone?" I'm not in a position to ask her that, but it just gets me curious. It doesn't matter what kind of answer she gives, even if it's a simple reason because part of me wants to know what's motivating her to do this. Simple as that.

"Yes, I know it's sad. But this place is special for me, and I'm sure it's the same for Iffy too." I don't know who this 'Iffy' is, but I'm reluctant to ask.

One of the reasons why I wanted to hear her answer is because back when I was a young kid, I would frequently visit the playground in my village. But what took my interest was the sandbox somewhere in the corner secluded from the rest. How did I not notice that earlier? It's ironic because there was also one like that in our village. Right next to a large tree. I'd go to the sandbox—though not the sandbox itself, but the tree—and sit at the base until it was time for me to head home. Although unlike that one, the sandbox here has sand inside that looks more like soil than actual sand.

Compa must have noticed me looking at it because she asked, "Did you like sandboxes when you were a kid?"

 _No_ , I'd tell her, but I'm not sure myself. "Maybe," I say instead. Something is stopping me from taking a step closer towards the sandbox. Like my feet got rooted in the ground beneath me and rendered me unable to move. And the longer I stare at it, my stomach churns more vigorously than ever.

And then I see it.

One child wrapped his arms around him, making him look like some kind of ball, making himself smaller than the world around him—to all the other kids around him. As though he was nothing but an extra stump of a tree waiting to be ripped off the ground and thrown away. Three other children surround the lone child. Their silhouettes are all black, but the other two have longer lengths of hair. There's also something shining on the balled-up child, and when I squint my eyes—they're all gone.

My palm immediately finds its way to my face at the same time the depths of my head stings with a powerful shock of thunder raging inside my head. The strength of my legs wane, vision blurs, ragged breaths. Compa moves her mouth, but no sound comes out, or maybe I can't hear it? I don't know anymore.

With the remaining strength on my arm, I grab Compa's head, with barely any force, and mutter an incantation. The whole scenery changes, but I can't make any of it.

Then something hard and cold hits my right cheek.


	3. A Dream, A Wish

**Chapter 3**

 _A Dream, A Wish_

I wake up to find a brown-bordered yellow ceiling that's in front of me with two circular objects around the middle area. I need not ask anyone what the object is. It's a common thing at many different inns in Lluna. Well, specifically the inns within kingdoms, but I have encountered ones outside of kingdoms that had them as well. Although, it can get annoying when the lights from light bulbs flash you in the face while lying in bed. It's quite amusing too, really, because it's a sight I haven't seen for so long. If you rarely sleep inside the comfort of your own home—or if you're fond of camping a lot—then you'd understand what I mean.

Whenever the first thing that pops up in my sight doesn't include rays of sunlight, a shower of rain or storm, endless seas of clouds, or the starry night sky (which, by the way, is my favorite), I know something happened. It always did. And whatever it is, it never ended up with me liking it in the slightest. When this happened to you a couple of times already, you'd go from asking "Where am I?" to "What happened" instead or somewhere along the lines. Also, I need to know about it anyway, so I can at least repair some repairable damage.

"Ah, you're awake." At first, I didn't recognize the voice, but when the creamy pink strands of hair enter my peripheral, there's no need to second guess. It's the girl I bumped into, Compa.

I sigh, but not because of relief. There was a bit of choke in it, probably from exhaustion, but then again, it might be because of my head having a horrible storm at the moment. But it's not like I don't know why I'm feeling this. No, quite the opposite. Usually, it wouldn't get to this degree of throbbing to my head, but it's probably from the mental exhaustion I've been going through ever since I found out that this place is Gamindustri and in no way, shape, or form, Lluna.

As Compa closes the door behind her, it takes a few moments for my eye to process the small plate with uneven apple slices on top of it. She doesn't have any bandages on her fingers, so it strikes me as odd when the apple slices are in different sizes. But she made the effort to slice them up for me in the first place so I've no right to complain.

"Whose room is this?" I ask. A white sheet covers half my body and the walls are the same color scheme as Compa's hair. Although, what's with the hideously large syringe on the corner?

"It's my room," she answers. She sets the plate on a small wooden desk near the bed I'm in and pushes the pink curtains with red hearts apart and let the rays of sunlight enter. "You collapsed all of a sudden. Although, we were already at my house when that happened. It's weird. How did that happen? Was it something you did when you held my head?"

"Yes and no."

"Huh?"

"While it's true I transported us here, you were the one who directed us here."

"I don't get it. I'm not carrying any Teleportation Book in my bag."

"Of course not. It's hard to explain, but just know you also helped with the transport."I cast a transportation spell I learned from a mage I met long ago. It was quite simple. All it needs is someone who can manipulate their magical energies to use it. But because I had something inside me that's different from other people or mages have, I'm able to use it without too many troubles or consequences. However, it turns your head into mush if you're not careful, and I don't enjoy relying on it so much anyway. I prefer walking around.

Oh, and also, the most important thing about transportation magic is the location. Specifically, memories. Usually, it would be the caster's memories, but I redirected the flow to Compa's head instead and have it gone for her memories instead.

I take one piece of apple from the pile. The skin still sticks on it. I'd take a bite, but it's too bland for my taste. And I don't mean literal.

"Do you have a knife around?" I ask as I place the apple back down.

"There's one in the kitchen," she replies.

"Thanks." I remove the sheet covering my lower body, stand and test my legs a bit, and exit through the door. The next room is probably a living room since it has seats around a center table. There's also a television on the opposite side of them. It's surprising to see how nice her house looked, unlike mine or Alice's.

It doesn't take me long to find the way to the kitchen. The living room is large, but not to a great extent where I'd get lost. After heading in, it didn't pose a challenge to hunt where the knife is at because it was just lying on top of the chopping board Compa most likely used for slicing the apples. I wash it first before backtracking, but when I return to the living room, Compa is already at the couch with the plate of apples on the center table.

"Since you're out already, I thought maybe we could just talk out here instead," Compa says.

"Fine by me."

Taking the other side of the couch, I grab a piece of apple again with my left hand and reshape the skin with the knife on my right. The slightly heavier weight of the knife makes it easier to cut because it's very similar to my kitchen knife.

"Bunny ears?" Compa says. "You know how to cut those? Wow, you're so good at even."

"It's nothing special. I wasn't always good at this, you know? It took me hundreds, if not thousands of bandages just to get the basics down. Even the attempt to get a good grip took a lot longer than that."

"But you could do it. It takes a lot of determination and motivation if you made plenty of mistakes. Was it something you wanted to do?"

"No, was just a hobby, really."

"It doesn't look like a hobby to me. The way you carve the apple—no amateur could shape the way you do without plenty of practice."

"I don't know, Compa. I just don't know."

Is it necessary to have something you want to do? Maybe it is for other people, but not me. When something needs doing, I just do it and that's that. I got my knife skills from a butler I knew from a distant kingdom and he taught me how to handle it. Although the sole purpose was to chop some ingredients, like some cabbages for example, instead he made me practice with apples. Which I didn't mind at all. It was a lot simpler than peeling off some radishes or something.

I wouldn't say it was the most thrilling experience. But it was memorable.

When I visited the princess somewhere after mid-day inside the castle garden's gazebo once, she requested me to tell the Royal Head Chef to slice her some apples. The head chef was kind enough to stop whatever he was doing and grabbed two apples from a neat pile of fruits in a basket so fast that I may have seen an illusion of some sort. And before I knew it, he was already shoving a plate full of perfectly cut apples with the same sizes even. Right after I took the tray away from him, he was already back to what he was doing. He still amazes me, even to this day.

I brought the tray to the princess, oh and the head chef also left the knife he used to cut the apples on the tray. Pretty sure he knew the princess wanted to have some kind of decoration with the apples, and another reason he left the skin stick. Well, he's usually busy with other dishes and probably knows I can fill in that part myself. He can be lazy and considerate in the strangest ways sometimes. But I'm sure that's why the people respect him so much.

Of course at first, I designed the apples in different shapes. She liked most of them but squealed when I made the bunny ears. She snatched the thing the instant I finished carving it and looked at it as some kind of precious jewel. And since then, I've only carved bunny ears for her.

"Oh shoot!" Compa says as she looks at a circular object hanging on her wall. There are two arrows, a smaller one and a longer one, with numbers going up to 12 on it. "I forgot I'm supposed to meet up with Iffy after I visited the playground!"

She scrambles to her feet and heads for the door. "Wait!" I say while I get to my feet and approach her. "Let me come with you."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." And there's something I want to find out while I'm at it. But as to what it is, even I don't know. But I know I have to go outside of this place. Maybe even meet this Iffy person she's been talking about.

She doesn't ask any further and we rush out with Compa in the lead. It's ironic really because this scene is the same when I chased Alice to that strange . . . thing. There's no doubt that it's the reason I'm not in Lluna anymore. But how could a single glowing object do that? As we turn to yet another corner, I almost slip and crash onto a metal pole. There's no use thinking about it for now. Maybe I can ask Histoire about it later or something.

Although the moment I stop shaking my head, that's when I bump into Compa's back, who abruptly stops right in front of me and this time we both crash to the ground

"Ow . . ." Compa rubs her head.

"Why'd you stop so suddenly?" I ask, pushing myself to stand and did the same to Compa. Just as I'm about to ask her another question, that's when I hear it. The sounds of a bunch of people murmuring to each other. But what stands out is the three people in front of a restaurant. One has long chestnut hair with a blue jacket that's too big for her and a leaf-shaped bow on her head. She stands in face-to-face with a bulky man with the green spiky hair, his black leather vest smudged with a large amount of white cream, and black ripped pants. Standing in-between them is a young-looking woman, must be in her teens, with short black hair and pink streaks. Her arms wrap a circular metal tray and are pleading to the two. The man shoves her away, giving the girl's pink one-piece pink dress some wrinkles.

"She's already sorry about. Just let it go already," the girl with the leaf-bow says. Her voice is calm, but there's a subtle hint that she'll burst any second. This scenario is too similar to the ones in the kingdom that I just can't help but sigh at the sight presented before me.

"Sorry's not gonna cut it!" the man barks.

"Yeesh, what a baby."

"Whaddya say?!"

"You heard me, stupid. Or are you just too dumb to understand? Oh, I know. Why don't I tell you in a language only guys like you can understand?"

"This is getting out of hand," I tell Compa. Someone will need to step in. Or else things will get out of hand.

"What should we do?" Compa asks. There's actually one thing we can do, and it should at least make sure Compa doesn't get into a sketchy spot or risk getting hurt. But she must comply with whatever I need to instruct her. She does, and we approach the pair.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Yes!"

I take a step forward to the two. "Hey, hey, what's going on here?" Man, that just makes me sound like the restaurant's owner or something. It had the desired effect, however, as the man with the leather vest turned his attention towards me.

"Iffy, over here!" I hear Compa whisper-shout behind me. So the girl with the oversized jacket is Iffy? Good thing we got here in time then.

They should be out of the scene by now. "Who're you s'pose to be?" the man asks.

"A dancer," I reply.

"What, you gonna dance with those puny legs o' yours?" He laughs, and that causes my forehead to pop a vein. The moment I sweep his legs off the ground, before he has any time to react, I grab a glass of orange juice (the color's orange, so it's orange juice, right? But it has this strange smell, but I ignore it) and splash it directly on the top of his head and storm off once the glass empties. He must have gotten onto his feet, because I hear him screaming, "Get back here punk!" with heavy footsteps following me from behind.

After about a hundred corners, the extra sound of footsteps disappears. Either he gave up chasing or I finally lost him. Whatever it is, at least I'll get a breather. Even with all that traveling I had in Lluna, being chased around for half the city can still drain the stamina from you.

Once I heave a sigh, Compa and Iffy stare at me. The former gives a smile while the latter frowns. They're both panting, must have arrived not too long ago. Although it surprises me how we found each other even though I was frantically running in random directions. But at least we're safe now. I wave a hand to them. "Hey you two," I say as though we knew each other for a long time. "Wonderful weather we're having. Say, did something happen? You two don't look so well."

"Oh, haah, just, haah, wonderful, haah," the girl who Compa calls Iffy says. "How, haah, are you, haah, not tired?"

"Believe me, once you traveled as much as I have, then something like this is child's play."

She stands straight, wipes the sweat running down her forehead, and stretches her back. To be honest, the way she moves and recovers suggests that she also does some traveling herself, but I'm not sure to what extent though. I've only met a handful of people who can keep up with my travels during my travels.

"What took you so long?" Iffy says to Compa as she redirects her gaze at her. "I've been waiting there for an hour." I should probably ask them what she meant with hours. Compa said something similar earlier, but I haven't had a single clue what it is.

"Sorry, Iffy," Compa apologizes. "I couldn't just leave Maki while he was unconscious."

"Maki? Is that him?" she points a finger in my direction. "You don't need to get too worked up about those things. It's not like a bomb will drop on him while he's out cold." While I have some say about what she said, I agree to her not worrying about me too much. She even gave me some apple, although I appreciate her for it. "I'm IF." So, that's her actual name? It's a nice name, although Iffy sounds cute as well.

"Well, you two met up, that should good enough," I say. "I still need to meet up with someone myself. And I don't want to worry them about me taking too long. So, it was nice knowing you two, but I need to—"

The door behind the duo bursts open with a _bang_ so loud, that Compa jumps a bit before they both spin to see the source of the sound came from. The building has a large window with some cakes on display. It must be some kind of shop; otherwise, they wouldn't be showing these cute-looking cakes. A small girl then pops out of the area before the door got slammed onto the wall. "Like a kangaroo!" After she lands her feet back to the ground, she turns around and says, "See, Nep Jr.? Now I have enough puddings to last for a whole week!"

The next person who comes out has the same long purple hair, white sailor outfit, striped knee socks, and hair clip from earlier. No doubt, it's—

"Nepgear?" My voice catches her attention. She turns to face me, a large bag hanging on her left hand.

"Oh. Maki, when did you get here?" She notices the other two with me. "Compa, IF! What are you two doing here? Huh, wait, are you with him?" They both nod at her question.

"Well, it's a long story," Compa says. Only it isn't a long story. Compa explains to them how she and I bump into each other, leaving out the transport to her house part, how she found out she was running late for her meet up, how we found Iffy having some kind of exchange with a big guy, and how we ended up here. And you know the rest.

"Who is she by the way?" I ask Nepgear. All the smaller girl she's with been doing was eating cups of pudding while listening to our story.

"Oh, she's my sister."

"And let me guess, she's the older one?"

"That's right. I'm surprised you guessed it right. Usually, people would think the other way around."

"Believe me when I say I met many people with the same case as yours." It just became so common in Lluna that I can't help see it being a usual case. Especially when she's not acting older than she is, actually. Although she's more of a child than anything else. At least that's how she looks like to me and acts. But I'm not one to assume quickly.

"Hey there, I'm Neptune. I'm this series protagonist and the one only favorite CPU around here." She waves a hand in my direction.

Nepgear told them about how she found me lying somewhere in the plains while she was out hunting monsters for a quest she had. How she led me to the Basilicom to meet Histoire. How Histoire told me to wait three days to contact my dimension. Although, they're not exactly that surprised with the information.

"Then how about we meet at the Basilicom after three days?" IF suggests.

And we did. After three white moon cycles, Compa and IF arrive and enter through the only door that leads to the elevator. Compa goes for the kitchen to prepare something with the stuff she brought in a small plastic, while IF goes for the largest couch. Taking off her jacket larger than her and stifles a yawn. Did she do something before coming over?

She looks to her left, then her right, and whistles. "This place is a lot cleaner than the last time I visited." I can agree with that. The first time I went here, there were a bunch of things scattered around. "You did a nice job here, Gear."

Nepgear, who comes out of the kitchen doorway to the living room with a cup of pudding and a spoon, looks at IF in confusion as she hands the pudding to her sister lying on a large soft sack on her stomach. "I wasn't the one who cleaned the place."

IF raises her brows. "Then who did?"

"It was Maki. He cleaned the place ever since he got his hands on a broomstick. I told him he didn't need to worry about it, but he insisted."

"Yeah, this place was a total mess," I say as I dust a shelf filled with books. Unlike the first time, the dust isn't as bad when they fly out. But I've got a cloth mask over my mouth, so it isn't so bad.

For past cycles, I've been cleaning this place in shape. Although I considered not to, the number of papers, pudding cups, and other stuff I don't know what they are, ticked something inside me. But when I slump for the couch, dust particles invaded my air, and that's when I snapped. Mostly, I just cleaned the place unless Nepgear wanted to get some groceries. But really, I only did those to keep myself from going insane.

"He was much more help than Neptune here," Histoire says as she floats our way.

"Ah, Histoire," IF says. "How is it? Did you get anything?"

"About that, I have successfully established a connection to the Histoire in his dimension," she announces. Compa returns to the room with cups of tea for everyone. Which is good, because I'm running out of my tea capacity. I've had the one Alice gave me, but when I searched for the place where I put it, gone. Not a single trace.

"Ooh, what kind of Histy are we gonna find in his dimension?" Neptune comments.

"Have you talked to her yet?" Nepgear asks Histoire.

She nods, "I have. And she is eager to meet you all. Please wait while I reconnect." Everyone inches closer to her as though she'd pop at any moment. After a few more moments passing, a large blue screen appears in front of her. Sure enough, the other side of the screen had another Histoire there. Although they look very similar, her outfit design comprises stars and different moon shapes. But once I get a better look where she was, it almost makes me jump.

 _She's at the clearing Alice and I met up._

They talk to her, some about the place, others about her outfit, but then another voice calls. The other person who spoke goes into view of the screen and then it hits me.

"Alice!" I say.

" _Huh? Oh, hey, Maki! Where'd you go? You just disappeared from that place_."

"Don't know myself. All I know is I'm nowhere near there." The more I talk to her, the more the tension in my body drains. She's safe, not in any harm's way. And that's good enough for me. All my worries become a waste, but it beats from her being in danger. "Don't worry Alice, I'll find a way to get back there."

She gives a small laugh, but not in a way she finds something funny. " _About that, it might be better for you to stay there instead_." What? What does she mean?

"What do you mean?"

" _Wasn't this your dream? To run away from this place and start a new life somewhere? You told me this before. And now it's becoming true! Aren't you happy about it?_ " Happy about it? How can I be happy about it?

"I still have a house there, you know? And what about you? You'll be all alone . . ." I whisper when I say, "again."

Yet she shakes her head and forces a smile. It's a smile she uses whenever she's given up. And I hate it. It's not the same as my 'smile' with long sessions of practice, but a genuine one. And I hate it because of it. Because it's a genuine forced smile.

" _That's a lie and you know it,_ " she says. _"You don't really care about your house, I know because you told me that. But Maki._ " She moves her lip to the language of the words I taught her. She's saying, "There's nothing left for me to go back to." And it hurts because it's true. But what hurts me the most is because Alice is the one who's telling me about it. Telling me to abandon her and find my own happiness. Because no matter how much I deny it, what she said is true. There's nothing left for me to go back to.

"And what about you?" I ask.

" _Oh c'mon. You know you were never part of the village in the first place. No one will notice._ " That shuts me up. " _Just, don't forget about me, okay?_ " Before I can say anything else to her, she runs off and goes out of view.

" _Our time's almost up_ ," the other Histoire says. " _Maki, just remember, whatever you decide, I'll support you in every way I can._ " And the blue screen disappears.

"So . . ." Neptune says. "What are you gonna do now?"

I admit this is a tough choice. Nothing's making sense for me anymore.

"I'll . . . be in my room for a bit." They didn't say anything as I leave. As I lie on my purple bed, Alice's words replay in my head over and over again. My body doesn't move; it doesn't have any strength to make an effort to.

 _Isn't this your dream?_

My dream? When did I ever tell to her? No matter how much I try to find the exact moment I did, nothing. Nothing at all.

 _To run away from this place and start a new life somewhere?_

Right as the words echo in my head again, it hit me. There was a moment in Lunelit Forest where I was lying in the middle of a bunch of marigolds. I had my eyes closed, but Alice wasn't the best at being sneaky and her shoes made a lot of crunching noises. But I'm sure she wasn't even trying anyway. She lay herself down beside me and whispered her wish when a shooting star that night passed our way. And it wasn't something for her.

Her wish was for me. To go to a place away from Lunelit Forest, from Lluna, from everything.

Was that why she ran that day? To that strange place with the glowing object? Did she know this would happen? No, she wouldn't have. She's no expert on anything. Just a shopkeeper in a village. And that's what made my body get to my feet and approach—run to the door.

The door flies open which causes the others back in the living room to look in my direction astounded. I stop in front of Histoire. She has the same reaction as everyone, speechless and unable to move.

"Histoire," I say. "I'm staying here, in Gamindustri."


	4. Work Hour

**Chapter 4**

 _Work Hour_

At some point in your life, there are always those days where things get boring. No matter how many things preoccupy you, whether they're leisure activities or cleaning up the hard to reach spots you keep putting off because of how tedious it gets. And scraping off the built-up excess dirt on the stove from frequent amounts of usage doesn't help get the same feeling out.

I always welcome the feeling, even if it's the last thing I expect. It just means peace does its magic, not exactly giving the feeling of emptiness but more towards dullness.

"Neptune, it's about time for you to do your responsibilities as a CPU and do your work!" the small lady on top of a tome, Histoire, says from the other side of the room where I am currently at. Which is the kitchen, if you're wondering.

From where I stand, I can pretty much see them and every little thing they do. For the past few days I've been here, I treated their antics as background noises. Mostly because it always ends up with Neptune complaining and whining or a mix of both. It was a sure sign for me to filter their sounds out.

"Aww, but I've already worked and stuff yesterday," Neptune says. "A CPU gotta have her break every now and then, right?"

"You do that literally every single time!" Somehow, I'm intrigued to listen to every word those two say. I still haven't got a good grasp of how this place, and Gamindustri, works compared to Lluna. "Oh heavens, where have I gone wrong?" I wish I can answer her, but I'm in no position to.

"Just chill, Histy. Your hair'll turn white if ya keep fretting over the small stuff." Even though I haven't been here long enough (let alone know them enough yet), I've already seen this scenario countless times already. Also, the funny thing is, it always happens whenever I'm doing some maintenance on their kitchen. Why? Because I don't have much on my hands, plus since I lived most of my life alone in Lunelit Forest, this became a habit than anything else.

But Neptune's comment to Histoire ticks something within me. Not because she's being overly lax, even though she is, but her disinterest towards work; there were people I met when I used to travel around Lluna who worked for nights on end because they either wanted to live a better life or support the people precious to them. They wanted to achieve something they don't have, and since Neptune has everything, she doesn't seem to find work as necessary.

I'm not in a position to scold her, being only met with her recently. The days I've spent here involve me doing household chores, which sounds kind of pathetic now that I think about it. But what else can I do?

They already have workers here doing most of the other things, and Nepgear needs to take care of something else outside of Planeptune Tower. Because of that, I just have to take some responsibility from her hands so she can concentrate on filling in her older sister's (the fact still baffles me) lack thereof and laziness.

It's amazing how she can keep going like this without complaints. If I was on her shoes, I'd snap at Neptune.

Right now, though? I would, but I'm busy at the moment. However, no matter how much I scrub and scrape the dirt sticking on the stove, my mouth never ceases to stifle a yawn every few passing moments or a few scrubs here and there.

I need to get something to snap me out of this trance, and quick. Otherwise, I'd end up like Neptune.

"Histoire? I've got what you requested," IF says after entering the stage of Histoire and Neptune's stage play. Entertaining, to say the least, but not in a fun way.

"Why thank you, IF," Histoire says as she takes a brown envelope from IF's hands. Got to say, it's a surprise she can lift that envelope with her small stature. Not to say she's not struggling one bit as she does so, but the envelope is double her size. It's remarkable, and I'm tempted to go and help her out, but this stove is too stubborn to let me go and do just that.

IF shifts her gaze to the limp Neptune on a large sack seat only for her to shake her head and sigh. I can pretty much see where this is going. After all, I'm sure she gives the same opinion to Neptune as me.

"Lazing around again, Nep?" she asks.

"Oh c'mon, Iffy. Give li'l ol' me a break here," Neptune complains. "I don't wanna have a mk2 version of Histy's lectures." That's expected with how she's acting though.

Ignoring Neptune's plea, IF asks, "Where's the red hare?" Red hare?

"In the kitchen doing whatever." There's no one else in the kitchen but me. So, wait, when she said red hare, did she mean me?! Excuse me, but (usually I'd be fine with those things) why am I labeled as a hare? Do they see long ears and a fluffy tail on me? Do they? I look at my back, nothing but the tail-end of my coat.

"Oh, there you are." Here comes the brunette of glory.

"Hey, what's up? Didn't expect to see you here," I say with my calm-not so calm voice. That whole hare thing must still shake me.

"Okay . . . I didn't need to see you wipe that dirty towel on your forehead."

Oh shoot, did I? I remove the towel on my forehead. She's right. She did not need to see me soil my forehead with grease and ashes. I twist the faucet sink open and splash my face with the cold water. "There, all better." I raise a thumb but the action causes the filthy towel to fly towards the various kitchen equipment hanging on the wall and make them crash down with a rhythmic fashion. Ugh, great, not again.

"What the heck was that?" Her eyes are literally white circles right now.

"Ugh, I'll pick them all up later. Anyway, do you need anything from me? I'm not really busy, but I'd appreciate it if you get to the point sooner than later."

"About that." She takes something out of one pocket from her jacket that's bigger than her. And I thought my coat had an unusual number of pockets. "If you haven't heard already, I work as an agent at the Guild." Extending a small card, I grab it and see her name, picture, and other information likely about her.

"Okay. So, why are you telling me this?"

"Well, Gear kept telling me how much she felt bad leaving you with all the chores here without making any money out of it." Money never gives me any concerns, but since there's no Alice here to supply me with tea leaves, maybe I should add it to my priority list. "So, I suggested having you get acquainted with the Guild. That way, you don't have to stay stuck here listening to those two go on with their business all day."

Tempting offer. I don't want to sound rude to Histoire, but I am getting fed up with their constant ramble against each other. Sometimes they're entertaining, but most of the time they're obnoxious to hear. Mostly Neptune and her never-ending complaints slash excuses.

"Tell me," I say. "Are you sure you're not asking me this to get some workload off you?"

"Wha—no! Well, maybe. Argh, look, do you want to or not?" She crosses her arms and looks away from me while hiding her flushed face. Alice mentioned before that I make the weirdest joke sometimes but I'm not sure. It just comes out naturally. But my father was always good at breaking a serious mood. Perhaps it rubbed off on me, I don't know.

"Hrm . . . Why not? It's not like I've got anything in my hands right now."

A frying pan slips from its place on one branch of the holder and makes a _clang_ as it crashes on the pile where all the other cooking appliances are.

". . . until a few moments ago, I guess."

IF shrugs. "I'll, uh, wait at the next room where Nep and Histoire are and see if they'll end up resorting to something extreme." As if she anticipated it, something black with a small string behind it flies, almost hitting IF in the process, but lands a hit on my forehead causing me to stumble back. I don't know what happened to the thing that nearly cracked my skull, but when I hear the loud crashes behind me, I don't bother to ask.

"O-oh my! Maki, my apologies, I did not mean to hit you with the console's plug," Histoire says. If it's from her, I don't mind. But the impact was quite strong though. I'm more worried about the kitchenware behind me than my head.

"Oh man, you might've cracked a skull, Histy," Neptune says, but whistles when Histoire grunts and glare at her before heading towards the kitchen.

"I sincerely apologize. I should have been more level headed with my actions."

I pat her small head with my other free hand. "Apology accepted," I tell her. "You should rest up yourself. Why don't you and Iffy talk with a drink to get some stuff off your mind? I'll join you two once I'm done tidying this mess up." I cringe at the amount of kitchenware scattered on the floor as I rub the area where my forehead got hit.

"Iffy . . .? Say, when did we get close all of a sudden?"

"What? It's a cute nickname," I smirk. Now how do you feel when you're called by something embarrassing with someone you barely know?

She doesn't respond and goes to the other room. Histoire is the only one left with me.

"I could call for someone else to clean up," she suggests.

"No thanks. This is technically my fault. Just wait out there."

She nods and leaves for the other room. Meanwhile, I've got a huge pile on the floor to get rid of.

~0~0~0~

The next morning arrives and I'm outside in front of a small flower shop. Mostly because this one in particular displays more sunflowers outside than most. It was easy spotting it so we decided to make this as the meeting place at 6 o'clock in the morning, after IF explained to me what it means.

It was hectic yesterday when IF and I had a talk about the type of job she offered. Histoire was with us in the conversation until Neptune said something that ticked her and they kept arguing. Even the length of their argument surprised me. Usually they'd stop for about an hour or less, unless Histoire resorted to lecturing her (which didn't happen yesterday), but their argument lasted until Nepgear returned from her trip.

IF already accepted a quest, so I just need to wait for her. She would have just given me the job and location, but since I'm quite new to everything around here, she'll come along with me on this one.

"She sure is late . . ." A statement directed to no one in particular.

"Who is? You having a date in the morning? I'm surprised to see there are actually still some people going outside early in the morning. Good to see Planeptune folks still go around in the streets." A voice behind me says that makes me jump. "Whoa, sorry there. Didn't mean to scare ya like that."

"Well, there are people who are immune to surprises. But I'm not one of them, unfortunately," I say. Although I'm usually the one doing that to other people though. It's been a while since I last caught a person off guard, so I'm not sure whether I can still pull it off. "Also, you've got one thing wrong. I don't live here, nor am I a citizen here."

Her golden eyes widen as she fixes the goggles lying on her short blue hair. The way she suddenly leaned forward force me to take a step back. With how close our distance is, I notice a bandage patch on her left cheek. Why would she have that when she's wearing a decent unbuttoned pink long-sleeved jacket? Not to mention a black tube top underneath as well.

"And here I thought there's still hope for the folks here." She readjusts the tightness of the white scarf wrapped around her neck as if telling me something. If she is, I can't quite catch it. "Nevermind that then!" I'm amazed at how quickly she recovered from her disappointment. "The name's Chian."

"Call me Maki. Though I am surprised. No one would even try to strike a conversation with me in some random area. You're a first." It's true, even to the people I met in Lluna. I'll be the one grabbing their attention instead.

"Haha! Pleasure's mine then. If you don't mind, what'cha doing out here early in the morning?" I'd answer her straight to the point, but my mind tells me not to and go with something stupid.

"Actually, I'm waiting for my wife without the 'w'—"

"You have a wife?!" Goodness gracious, she didn't let me finish. "But you don't look old enough to have one." Now that's just being rude. Still, she's getting the wrong message here. "What does she look like? I want to meet her. Hair color?"

"Brown. But she's not—"

"You into brunettes? I'm not judging, but that's a strange looking pair to think about. Brown and red, what color will your child have?" she cuts me off again. Because of her last question, my face grows hot and I'm sure she can spot the blush on my cheeks. "What does she wear most of the time?" Great, more questions.

"A blue jacket bigger than her. Look, I'm trying to tell you—"

"Blue and a large jacket? So, a tomboy?!" How am I not surprised? "No offense, but I thought you'd be the type to be into those more feminine if you know what I mean." Ugh, how am I going to make her listen for a second?

"Who's into more feminine?" I turn around to the source of the voice. IF finally arrived. At 5:59 even. That surprises me more. She might be a perfectionist or something, or maybe just a coincidence. Either way, I'm glad she's here.

"5:59 . . . Have to say, you're pretty keen on your schedule."

"Says the guy who got here before me." She brushes her silky-looking hair that drips a few water droplets from the tips of her strands. I can treat this as nothing extraordinary. The Princess did tell me women like to take their time fixing their appearances, even if it's nothing too extravagant. "Oh hey, Chian." She notices the blue-haired wonder I was talking to. Hold on, they know each other? "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Hah, don't be too surprised," Chian replies. "I just finished delivering something for a regular."

At least with IF arriving, she stopped pestering me about the whole wife thing. I was going to tell her I'm waiting for my wife without the "w" and "e" but she didn't give me any chance to explain it. Although now that I think about it, maybe saying "my wife" would give her a different impression as well. I need to be careful with my word choices.

"Where are you headed?" Chian asks IF. "Off to do more Guild business?"

IF nods in response. "I am, and I'll be bringing this stray hare while I'm at it." She points at me. Maybe I should keep calling her Iffy like Neptune and see how she'll like it.

"Wait . . ." Oh no. Multiple sirens are screeching my head deaf. "Brown hair, large blue jacket . . . You're his wife?!"

"Huh? What? Me? His wife?" This is not what I asked for. "Wh-wh-what are you talking about?!" Like last time, IF has her eyes in complete white circles.

"You didn't invite me to your wedding at least? I wanted to take a picture of you in a dress." Chian pulls out a small device from one pocket of her long-sleeve and holds it up. "Well, at least give me a picture now. Better late than never, as they say." With a _click_ , she returns the device on her hand back to where she took it out from.

"Look, Iffy and I aren't—"

"Already into them pet names, huh? That's cute." I'm not even surprised anymore. But woman, please, let me finish!

My face is hot with embarrassment that I can't look at Chian straight. I should have just told her straight. And I guess I called her Iffy way too early and made it worse.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up," IF says. "First off, I'm not married. And second, delete that picture. I don't want people getting the wrong idea." True, this is my fault. Now I really have to be careful with my words. "This guy thinks like a hare." Again with the hare thing?

"Hey, that's not true. I had enough patience to learn to operate my phone, see?" I pull my own device from one pocket of my coat. Not fancy looking as Chian's or IF's, but it's a good enough quality for my own purpose.

"All right, maybe not an impatient hare. But he doesn't even know how a TV works." Fair enough. "I wouldn't marry him in a million years." Okay, that hurts me more than burning large debris falling on top of my head.

"You're not?" Chian asks. "Then why'd you say you're waiting for your wife?"

"Without the 'w' and 'e'. You didn't let me finish. The wife part was supposed to be a joke."

"Didn't sound like a joke to me." I'm not even going to convince her at this point. Ugh, it's not worth it. I should take Alice's advice and stop trying to understand women. This is not worth the trouble. "Well, I don't want to ruin your plans, and also I need to get going. So, I'll be heading back now. Sorry for keeping you and your wife from your date."

"I'm telling you, she's not my wife," I say, not even sounding irritated. Chian winks before turning around and walks off. Once her silhouette disappears, I let out a long sigh.

"I won't ask you what happened, so let's get going already. We've got a ton on our hands and we need all the time we need to complete each and every one of them." She's thoughtful enough to not press on about the misunderstanding that happened earlier. She could have reacted much worse. "Don't worry, you'll find someone who'll be interested in marrying you."

Nevermind, I take that back.

"Highly unlikely," I tell her and start towards the city's exit.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" she asks as she follows.

I don't answer, which causes her to pester her as Chian did.

* * *

As we path our way on the outskirts of Planeptune city, IF stifles out a yawn. Nothing unusual, since it is still early in the morning. Not even a single bird in sight. Although one thing I like about being outside this early is how visible the sun's rays become when it first comes out. And it just so happens to appear when we step out of the city borders.

I would bask myself while lying my back on the bark of a tree, but I have plans today. A shame, but I don't want to give IF here the impression that I'm as lazy as the pudding-loving girl who complains all day.

"What's first on our list?" I ask, breaking the silence around us.

"Let's see . . ." She takes out a small piece of paper from a pocket on her jacket and unfolds it. For one thing, the list is _filled_. Not holding back, huh? I'm up for it. "I got something on the priority list. Some folks got ambushed by a bunch of wolves."

That's a blunt way to say it.

Sounds simple enough. Although, something about it bugs me. "How long has this been going on?" If people got ambushed, the problem should be dealt with sooner than later.

"About a week or two," she answers with a shrug.

"Nevermind what I said then."

"Nevermind what?"

"Nothing. Anyway, how come it's that long? Hasn't anyone did anything about it?" Wolves attacking people doesn't sound like something anyone would want to ignore.

"The thing is, those wolves aren't the usual kinds other adventurers are used to fighting. There have been reports of some wolves being more persistent, while other reports said they saw someone leading them." While saying this, she returns the piece of paper to where she grabbed it. "The Guild only received intel about a person in command of the wolves three days ago. So, they asked me to deal with them."

"Makes sense," I say. "But why bring me? I never told you I can fight monsters."

"I didn't. I just wanted to see what you're capable of." With monsters? And with wolves, no less? Can't say I can live up to her standards, but I'll at least try.

As we pass through a broken bridge made of wood, through the rustling bush nearby, a wolf pounces on IF. Body moving on instinct, I perform a pirouette and redirect the wolf's pounce away from her with its jaw. When it lands on its feet, three more wolves pop out of the other nearby bushes.

IF pulls out two blades and deflects a swipe from a wolf. Because she was using only one blade to block, she uses the other one to cut the wolf down. Its body disappears shortly after.

"What in the—" But another wolf prevents to give me a breather to let the situation grasp on me. It latches onto my arm with its sharp fangs. I try to shake him off, but it only makes it sink its teeth into my skin. So, I jab the wolf off. Some blood trickle on my sleeve, which makes my eye twitch. "And I just had this washed even."

Keeping up with speed, IF runs near me. She must not notice me because when she dodges a pounce from the wolf chasing her, its trajectory leads to me instead.

I backflip but not without kicking the damn thing's chin and then slamming it down to the ground.

The wolf that bit me earlier pounces again. This time I do a Grand Battement to, not kick its chin, but smash its head to the ground. Like its brethren, it turns into these strange blue squares and disappears.

"Nice job," IF says as she removes her blades. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"That wolf you gave me took me by surprise. Although, thanks to them, I'll need to find some thread to repair this." I move my arm up to show her the area where the wolf bit me.

"You're bleeding." She grabs my arm. "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away there. I'm too used to Nep's way of fighting. Think you'll be fine?"

"Don't worry—it's just a scratch."

"Just make sure you can keep up."

That won't be a problem. But now I know what I'll use the money for before my tea or anything else. Although, I hope they have the same materials I use to sew this. I don't want my coat to look awkward because of one out of place thread on it.

"Hrm?" I glance behind me. For a split second, I see a person concealing his or her face with a hoodie. Before I can react, the cloaked figure disappears.

"Something wrong? What are you looking at?" IF asks.

"No, it's nothing." What was that about? Hmm, probably nothing much. That person might just be a random passing vagabond. "So, what's next in our list?"

~0~0~0~

As the sky turns to a shade of orange, IF and I call it a day and head back to the city. After the whole wolf affair, nothing much happened other than the occasional blue squishy monsters melting on IF's skin, which by the way, made her completely enraged and took her anger towards me. For the rest of the whole quest trip, let's just say that it wasn't as enjoyable for her than it did for me.

Funny thing, though, I can't get myself to become familiar with this place—these streets. It's unlike the ones I'm used to.

Without warning, and because I wasn't paying attention, IF halts to which I hit her back. I expect her to scold me, but to my surprise, she points at a little girl on the other side of the streets, crying. "She might be lost. Let's help her out," IF says and walks up to the girl. I follow behind.

A child—around the age of four or five—continues to wail about her lost mother. IF reaches out for the child's hands and kneel down. "Are you lost?" The girl nods at her question.

Perhaps it's because I've only seen her when she works, but her kind-hearted front is new to me. The little girl tells IF in a muffled voice she lost her family after eating in a restaurant. IF calms her down, which surprises me more, and holds the child's hand as she stands back up. She tells me, "Her parents might still be around. It wouldn't hurt if we help the kid out, right?"

"Not a problem. Let's go before it gets too dark," I say.

I reach out to pat the little girl's head, but she shies away to IF's back. My heart sinks from this, but I try not to let this bother me. But I can't help thinking.

 _Right . . . What made me think she'd let me get near her?_

So, I let IF help her walk.

* * *

It didn't take long for us to find her parents. They were both waiting in front of the same restaurant they ate at earlier. Apparently, they went to an amusement park and must have wandered off when they weren't looking. They also explained that their child has a memory problem, and only remembered them eating in the restaurant but not what happened after.

Sudden memory loss to a child this young, how cruel. But it's a good thing her parents are willing to help and continue to support her. She's in good care.

The child and her parents thank us and disappear to a corner of the block. IF nudges my arm and snap me out of my trance. I didn't notice, but there's something about that girl and her parents that leaves a hole inside me. Or rather, they reopened the hole I couldn't fill in and remind me it's still there.

"Something on your mind?" IF asks, which catches me off guard.

"Not really," I answer.

"Did it bother you when that girl backed off on you?"

I fall silent. How do girls find the exact spot to hit? Shaking my head, I continue staring off at where the family was before they turned to the corner.

"I'll head for the Guild and mark these as complete. You can pick up your share tomorrow." With a wave, IF leaves.

I could head back to Planeptune Tower, but their bed makes it hard for me to sleep. Not because it's not comfortable enough, but because I'm not used to sleeping in beds in a bedroom in general. Perhaps it's because of my travels before I stopped. But a comfy bed just isn't my cup of tea.

Who am I kidding? I just can't stand the idea of being in the same room with two sisters and a small tome who acts as their mother. Something about that family earlier hit me. And now that I think about it, Histoire, Neptune, and Nepgear aren't far off.

I've been living by myself ever since my mother abandoned me. I've forgotten what it feels to have a family.

But when IF calmed that child down earlier, at that moment, she looked like the mother of that child. Sounds crazy, right? It's not far-fetched though. She could become a good mother if she ever wanted to. Though I don't think she's looking for that kind of commitment yet.

Around this time, when the sun is down, I would be strolling around Lunelit Forest for any stray monsters, or if anyone got lost. No one else but Alice and one other person knows the location of my house there.

So, I think I'll just do that. Head to a forest, check for any monsters and eliminate them if any, and probably sleep on top of a sturdy branch. It's nice especially when the clouds aren't obscuring the stars.

The moment I turn around, however, I hear a distant scream. Without any hesitation, I run to the source of the sound.


	5. Night's Serenade

**Chapter 5**

 _Night's Serenade_

There's no mistaking it, that scream was definitely IF's.

I kick off the ground and run as what's left of the sun's light grows dim and the stars appear above; the lamp posts light cover most if not all of the streets, shining up rows of light as if it's guiding me. Seeing it like this, there's no mistaking that Planeptune is quite different at night compared to the day, but I've got no time to think about that. I have something more important to think about. I don't know much about IF or what her job is in specific or what happened while I was pondering around like an idiot. But the scream had IF's voice, or what I recognized as her voice. But I'm betting on my guts it came from her. At the same time, however, I want to prove my guts wrong.

Heavy thuds resound with every step I take, panting heavy breaths as I do so, and looking around for any suspicious characters. Maybe it's because I've exerted my body from all the quests earlier or I ran without thinking that I'm having a hard time maintaining my stamina, but I force myself to ignore the light-headedness draining me and the biting cold caressing my face.

She can't be far. The Guild isn't far off from where I am. But the further I run, the more light-headed I become. Damn my guts. Please be wrong. It has to be wrong.

I turn to corners while forcing my brain to remember the path where the Guild was. Even if I knew the designs of the Guild's structure, or what I heard from IF's description of it, it's useless if I don't know where it is in the first place. I want to curse at my own ignorance, having not known where the location is, but then another scream echoes, and it's louder than earlier.

It's not something I should be happy to hear, but at least I know I'm getting close.

But now I'm met with a T-intersection to slow down my pace. Or stop my pace at all. Left or right—which one do I even choose? Okay, the left side leads to the playground Compa showed me before, while the right side leads to the same restaurant where Compa and I found IF. Are any of the two a good choice? Will one lead me to IF? Or will it lead me farther away instead? But if I don't pick one, I won't have a single chance of getting to her and my efforts will be in vain. It'll result in the same thing. Right is the usual pick, isn't it? Okay, I know where I'm going.

I run to the left.

If I want to prove my guts wrong, then I'll make sure it's wrong.

However, when I take a look at my right, I catch it—the banner the Guild has on top of its front gate. The banner is easy to spot because it has the word "Guild" on it. It's quite far from where I am, actually, but it's a clear view with the alleyway. There are those usual fences whenever there's an alleyway, right? Well, not this one. It's a clear path from point A to point B.

I pick my pace up as I pass through the alleyway. The walls around have the graffities on them (it's hard to make out the shape from all the running), and the trash cans and bins are scattered around either full, empty, or somewhere around the middle. It's not a problem if I ignore them, but the smell of mixed rotten garlic, meat, and vomit fills my nose and into my head, increasing the intensity of my already light-headed head. This is not a place I'd want to live in or take food out or consider as some kind of secret hideout. Nevermind the last part—it sounds stupid.

When I exit the alleyway (thank goodness), I stop to catch my breath. But the pounding in my head catches up to me with greater intensity and now I'm not sure whether or not I'm about to add more pile of puke in the trash bins.

The tension drains from my body the moment the layout of the Guild's building comes into view. Without a moment to spare, I scan the area around until I find IF on the ground in the distance a bit further away from where I am. She's underneath the portion of the light coming from the lamppost above her.

But there's someone else with her. That person has the hood on his or her brown cloak covering the backside of his or her head.

I rush towards them and reach in for something inside the compartment of my coat. The cloaked person has a large sword on his or her side, dripping blood from the tips of the blade. IF lies in front of them, which could only mean the blood belongs to her. "You there, what do you think you're doing?!"

The cloaked person turns around to face me. Except the moment they do, they throw a small object to the ground in front of me. When it makes contact with the ground right in front of me, a powerful flash of white light blinds my sight. My arms raise to shield myself from the light and anything the cloaked person tries to do. I wait but nothing happens. I take a risk and lower my cover—the cloaked person is nowhere around. They must have used the opportunity to escape than fight. Talk about smart, but that can wait until later. First, I need to check IF's condition.

It's hard to get to her fast enough with the whole street wobbling like how people get hallucinations in the desert. I stop to lean on a nearby lamppost to keep myself from falling. The beating doesn't stop, and my legs are about to fall over. But I can't stop here. She's close, but I'm not sure if I can reach her at this state.

"Don't even think about laying your filthy hands on her," a deep, strong and powerful voice of a woman says from behind me.

I turn my head, only for my eye to close shut from a harsh blow of wind passing through me and increase the grip I have on the lamppost. When I return my gaze to IF, a woman stands in-between us with her sharp blue eyes glaring at mine.

She has a strange sword in hand—larger than the cloaked person perhaps. Her body is covered with a black tight leotard with silver and purple colors across. With her free hand, she brushes part of her purple hair from her face, swaying both her long braids, and returns to her stance.

"I don't know how, but you'll pay dearly for this," she says as she glances at IF, who's behind her.

Hold on, I just got here! I wasn't the one who did that to her. Didn't she see the other person before me? She should definitely have seen them.

I tell her, but she cuts my words off. How am I supposed to explain it to her if she doesn't want to listen in the first place? But who is she? Someone IF knows? If so, then why does she think I did it? I don't have any weapon in hand, nor am I anywhere near IF for that matter.

"What are you? Just so you know, I won't fall for any of your tricks," the woman says.

"I'm not planning anything! Listen, you've got this all wrong—"

She squints her eyes. "You're not human, are you?"

What makes her assume I'm not? I may have a different clothing design, but there are people who are also like that. If it's not those then—wait . . . it can't possibly be . . .

I look at the sky. You're probably wondering why I'm doing this while in a dangerous situation. Well, for one thing, she seems cautious about my movements, so it's safe to say I'm good in that regard. Besides, there's something else I need to confirm.

The mysterious girl tilts her head from my action, but she still doesn't do anything.

It all makes sense now, though, because I know what caused her to act this way. It's not the best outcome, but at least I'm aware of it.

As for what I've confirmed, all I can say is, you've got to be kidding me! It's already a _full moon_?! Forget being the worst situation. It's far more than that.

I close my left eye shut.

"L-look, this isn't what it looks like," I try to reason my way out, seeing I have no other options. If I'm still in Lluna, I might act differently towards her than what I'm doing now, but I'm not and it's beyond me on how I'm supposed to convince her. While I attempt to explain it to her, however, she lunges forward at me anyway.

She must have gotten impatient from what I did. Wasn't expecting it, but on a different note, she's fast. It takes me more effort to dodge her because I only have one eye at my disposal. But what she doesn't expect is her attacks keep missing. My head's still throbbing, though, and it's not helping me in my situation. Her slashes blur with each swing, but it's like she's also becoming blurry with each slash. The only way I know where she's coming from is the purple color from her hair and from her clothes.

Though I'm not a master martial artist, I know for a fact that I don't want to get hit with that blade with my bare hands or arms or anywhere for that matter. The way I dodge her swings make me look like I'm dancing. It's a bad habit of mine, but it's working against her, so I'll just have to keep this up. But the occasional sharp throb hitting my head slows me down and gives the purple-haired woman the chance to strike me.

At some point, she backs off at a distance. It might be me overthinking, but I'm guessing she's paranoid that I'll do something else to IF. "Answer me, who are you?" This time her eyes glare at me, almost piercing the depths of my own.

"I'm telling you. It's not me who done this."

She continues to glare at me. I'm not sure what she's thinking right now, but I can guess she's not convinced from what I said. What am I supposed to do? I don't want to resort to using 'it'. No matter how desperate I get, I won't use 'it'.

But then—

 _Bam!_

The woman disappears. No, it's more accurate to say she's right at my face, with blade in hand, ready to strike me down. And with that, my mind goes blank.

In the next moment, my left eye opens and the woman stops her attack halfway.

"Wh-what?" As the woman says the words, the heel of my foot gets in contact with her abdomen and sends her flying backwards to the direction where IF lies.

Using this split chance, I disappear into an alleyway devoid of any light. Given at how fast it all happened, it must have surprised her, and not going to lie, even I'm surprised myself. But I know what happened—it's not something I can disregard as an accident nor a lucky moment. I'm not happy with the results, but at least I'm nowhere near that woman anymore, nor am I continuing to dodge her swords with my head almost giving out.

I'm refraining myself from hitting anything that might catch the woman's attention. Although, it's becoming quite tempting to kick the trash bin right next to me. For now, I need to wait until she leaves. I can hear the woman saying things like "Where did he run off to?" and "I need to get her out of here." I take a peek from the wall blocking my view of the woman.

She carries IF's body in a bridal position and, without any more delay, takes off. How convenient it is for to fly like that.

I get out of hiding and scratch my head. But since she's gone, I'm able to kick and slam the trash bin to a wall now. It makes a loud noise that could have attracted the woman's attention if she was still here, but she's not, so I don't care. I just need to hit something.

Rubbing my temples and heaving a long sigh, I think of what to do next.

She might come back to take my head if I linger here for too long. I'd stick to my original plan of heading outside of the city . . . but I don't want to risk exposing myself and leaving myself vulnerable.

"What did I ever do to her?"

"Indeed. What have you ever done to her?" A deep and fruity voice asks from behind.

I jump from the voice and turn around—it's the same cloaked person from before. He is so close, though. And when I try to reach in my coat, He grabs me by the collar and slams me to the nearby wall. With all that running I did, the headache I'm struggling to ignore, and dodging that woman takes a lot of strength I have, not to mention the quests IF and I did beforehand, the impact stings the back portion of my body harder than the cuts I got from the purple-haired woman.

The hand reaching in for something in my coat drops to my side. If he plans to kill me, it's the perfect chance. Once he reaches for his sword and swings it, I won't dodge it in time, or at all for that matter. But he doesn't, and instead he releases his grip of me and let me drop to the ground with a loud thud.

"I'm here to relay a message to you." Message? What's he talking about? I don't know anyone else here in Gamindustri. I doubt it's from Histoire or Nepgear. And I certainly doubt it's from Neptune. But then again, there's no reason for them to have some third party to give information to me. Whose message is it then? "Every person you meet here . . . Anyone who you come close with . . . I hope you're prepared."

". . . What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who knows? Maybe it has something to do with that IF woman who you hung out with earlier, or maybe that little nurse, Compa."

"How do you know about her?!" I stand and try to grab him by his collar, but he overpowers me and kicks me back to the ground. If my head's throbbing earlier, now it's also burning and stinging with each beat. "Ugh . . ."

Without another word, the cloaked person walks away from the alleyway and disappears, leaving me writhing on the ground.

What have I ever done to him? I haven't met anyone else but those girls. I don't understand what he's trying to tell me either. But one thing is for sure: they might be in danger for all I know. I failed to do anything for IF, but maybe I can still do something about Compa. He knows them both somehow, and he might go after her right at this moment. If that's the case, then I can't remain lying here and do nothing. Not again.

I push myself up and force myself to stand. But the there's barely any strength in my legs, which makes it hard to stand upright. Leaning on the wall, I take deep breaths as sweat rolls down my forehead. From my right, the city street lights shine in different colors, but it's like they're combining or something.

I look up to the moon again. It's always there every night, but I wish it wasn't here at this night.

"This is just my day. . ."

~0~0~0~

After three knocks, the door before me moves out of the way with Compa gazing a bit before putting a big smile on her face. "Oh, it's you again mist—A-are you alright? What happened to you?"

"Nothing much. Just, urgh, pushed myself too much." It's a lame excuse, but I can't come up with anything better. Telling her what happened to IF and me will make her worry. Even if I don't know much about her, she has a good heart. It's wrong for me to cause her trouble. But here I am, asking for her assistance. I can handle mild wounds, but that purple-haired woman and that cloaked man gave me enough scratches and bruises that I don't know where I should start. That and I don't have any medicine on me.

"That's no good! Come in. Let me treat your wounds." She grabs my wrist (it stings, but I don't complain) and makes me sit on the couch. There's a strong chemical smell in the air, but I don't know what it is. It's similar to how an alchemist's workplace smells, except the heaviness lingering in the air differs. She instructs me to take my coat off, which I do, bringing out my black, neck length undershirt with the sleeves reaching the wrists. It has holes from the slashes that purple woman hit me, although I can somewhat fix it later. Not the best kind, but decent enough, as long as Compa has any sewing materials around. I roll my sleeves up to give her a better and clearer view of the fresh wounds.

"Kuh!" The antiseptic spray Compa uses on the scratch wounds on my arms sting, but it's better than the stings I got earlier. Well, not all of them are mere stings.

She repeats the process, cleaning the fresh wounds and bandaging tighter than necessary, and it takes a little while before she finishes patching the last wound on my left arm. "There, all better now, right?"

"It is. Sorry for making you do this for me late at night." I cover my arms again with the rolled-up sleeves.

"It's alright. I'm just glad you didn't get any serious injuries." She stands up and make her way to the kitchen but stops right before the doorway leading to the next area. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to ask what happened." I pause before I answer her with a nod. "Great. Wait here while I make some tea."

"Do you have oolong or black tea?"

"Sorry, I only have lavender. Is that okay?"

"That's fine. I'm okay with anything."

With that, she disappears to the kitchen, leaving me to sink into the soft cushion of the couch. I don't want to think about anything, not about that purple-haired woman, and not about IF's injuries. I'm not convinced that the woman got IF to some proper care, but when she's able to fly and might be a resident in the city, I can't convince myself I'm much better than she is. Might be worse even. Compa should know about that first.

But what else should I tell her? There's nothing much except for IF and that purple-haired woman.

 _Every person you meet here . . . Anyone who you come close with . . . I hope you're prepared._

. . . I guess there's him and what he said. But what does he mean? And why is he doing it? A grudge against me perhaps? I don't know anyone around here than the ones I met, though. And they're all women. I haven't done anything to upset other people, have I? Well, there's that one guy who caused a ruckus at the restaurant where I first saw IF. But he doesn't sound clever or collecting like the cloaked person I saw, and his voice sounded different. If it's not him, then who is he?

"Who—who are you?!" The sound of hard but fragile materials breaking on the floor resonates loud enough for me to hear and jump off my seat.

 _Compa!_ I make a break for it to the kitchen, but the only ones in there are the fragments of the cups Compa was supposed to use for the both of us. I scan the room, but it's no good. Not a single soul at all. Where is she and what happened to her? Did they use teleportation?

"Compa, are you around here? Where are you? Answer me!" A heavy blow of wind hits my face. I know it's night, but that's cold. It's a bad idea to leave the window open. Someone might catch a cold. I reach in to close the window shut—wait, the window! It's large enough for someone to fit and come inside from it. Which means . . .

I stumble and trip as I reach for the door. The injuries and nausea I got from earlier hasn't disappeared yet. Even with my ragged breaths and trembling legs, I force myself to stand using the doorknob of the front door. She's beyond this barrier blocking me, but I can't get a grip to twist it. "Open, damn it!" Using every strength I can muster, I twist open the doorknob. As the door swings away, the still night erupts another gush of wind to my face.

"You took longer than I expected," a familiar fruity voice says as the winds die down. It's him—the cloaked person—standing on the entrance of Compa's house. And beside him is—

"Compa!" I try to rush in to them, but something crashes in front of me, causing smoke to emit. It blocks my view, and when the smoke clears, it reveals a large harpy with its feathers all standing up. I look behind it where the cloaked man and Compa are at. Except there's another person with them, who's also wearing a cloak.

"It's a pleasant evening, isn't it, _Maki_?" He laughs I dodge the claws of the large harpy.


	6. The Loss of a Gain

**Chapter 6**

 _The Loss of a Gain_

I duck from a swipe from the large harpy's claws and make a break for it towards the cloaked man. But something prevents my foot from moving once I make it halfway. I get up, but the foot that tripped me refuses to budge. Did my foot get caught from a root or a rope or something? I'm positive it's one of them, but when I check it out, it's neither a root or a rope—it a feather. And it pierces through the ends of my pants.

As I try to remove the feather (it's not budging at all, and it's tough as steel, the heck?), the harpy soars high in the air and rains more feathers aiming for me. I dodge as much as I can, but the leg stuck on one feather gets hit with another one, this time piercing the skin of my ankle. It sends a quick shock throughout my body, causing me to lose my footing and fall back down to the ground.

Blood trickles down from my pants, to my foot, to the ground. If I had troubles moving around earlier, it doesn't compare to now, with everything around me keeps getting out of focus.

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" Compa yells as she struggles from the cloaked man's grasp.

What am I doing right now, anyway? She can't be involved in this—I planned to give her one last visit after she helped me take care of the wounds I got. But what's this? She's being held captive for doing something nice for me? Is this how I repay her? Getting her in danger?

"J . . . Just forget about me . . . and run." It's not even possible for me to grip my hands. I can't get out of this situation, but she can still get away and forget about me.

"I'm not leaving you here!" Compa struggles some more and gets herself out of the hands of the cloaked man. She stumbles forward but recollects herself and rummages her hand through the small purse on her waist as she runs toward me.

"Get . . . out . . . of here . . ."

She shakes her head and pulls out a small bottle. She twists the cap open and hold the bottle in front of my face. "Drink this, quick. You'll feel better."

There's nothing else to lose if I drink it. I take small gulps but choke halfway. After the coughing stops, I finish every drop inside. In an instant, my vision focuses, my ankle stops bleeding, and the reopened wounds on my arms become numb, but the throbbing on my head doesn't disappear. What's in the bottle I drank? At the same time I'm thinking about it, Compa pulls the feather keeping me pinned to the ground out and lends me a hand as I struggle to get back on my feet.

"I told you to run. There's no reason for you to." I'm just a stranger to her. Nothing more, nothing less. So, why? She should save her own skin. There's nothing for her to gain in helping me. It'll only lead to vain.

"That's not true."

Huh?

"I can't abandon a friend in need. And if I leave the house, who will take care of Iffy?"

Iffy? That's the name she calls . . . "Wait, are you saying IF's here?" Since when? And how? I'm sure I saw that purple-haired woman took off with her in her arms. Does she also know Compa somehow? She's not around the house. Perhaps she already left earlier? It's possible, especially since she has the ability to fly at will.

"'Can't abandon a friend need', huh . . ." It makes perfect sense. She can't leave this place because of IF, and neither can I. After all, it's my fault she got injured in the first place.

A heavy feeling lurks in my chest as something stirs in my stomach.

She's her friend . . . And she won't ever abandon her. Sounds about right. It makes perfect sense. If that's the case, then I can't let her abandon this place.

"I believe you both had your fair share of chit-chat," the cloaked man says. "Now then, I hope you're prepared what comes next. You're going to need it."

"What are you talking about?" Compa asks.

He turns to the other cloaked person right next to him. "If you please." The person says something, but it's not loud enough for me to hear. Not even Compa heard what the other cloaked person said. But when the other cloaked person raises their arms, the large harpy swoops down and aims towards Compa.

"Watch out!" I push her away, but I'm too late. The tips of the harpy's claws miss Comp, but instead of getting scratched, its feet bump into her and throws her away, knocking onto a tree. "No . . .!"

"I told you before . . ." The man pulls his large sword from his back and points it towards me. "You better be prepared."

"She's got nothing to do with this."

"But she is. You'll know it shortly. Now then, what will you do, Sword Dancer? But you do not have your sword with you, do you? Saving her now is but a dream you'll wish it came true." He takes away his sword and smirks underneath the hoodie. It hides his eyes and the rest of his face, but he's making sure I can see his satisfied smile. "Finish her!"

The harpy spreads her wings and screeches before shooting more of her feathers, except this time it's aiming for Compa who's sitting at the base of a tree, unable to move from the impact earlier.

Is this it? I'm going to let someone get killed because of me? Even if I run for her or shout at her to get out of the way, I won't make it in time.

My body won't move. It can't move. I want to move, but I can't feel my arms. I want to move, but I can't feel my legs. I want to move, but I can't say a single word.

There's nothing else I can do. I failed to save IF, and now I'll fail to save Compa. All because of what? I met them? I interacted with them? Will this continue on? Will this happen to Neptune as well? To Nepgear? To Histoire? Why can't I do a single thing? The result's always the same.

If it's the case, then I'll have to disappear from their lives. If I can't save any of them, then I'll make sure they don't get in danger in the first place.

I made an oath to never use 'it' ever again unless someone meets the requirement. But that doesn't matter right now. Someone already saw 'it', so I'll make Compa an exception. She'll live, and I'll make sure of it. There's no reason for her to disappear because of me. I'll guarantee it.

"I won't ever . . ." —I stand up and glare at the two cloaked people. With both my eyes— "let that happen . . . to anyone else ever again!"

Deep and loud bell sounds echo throughout the silent night with each stomp I make with my left foot, reaching even the black, star-filled sky. But the next bell sound turns the sky to a shade of purple and a waxing halfmoon appears right in the middle, as though it hovers right above me.

The harpy stops moving, and the cloaked persons take a step back.

"W-what is—"

"You told me to prepare, didn't you? Well, what about you? I hope you're also prepared."

The harpy screeches and thrashes around before it disperses into glittering sparkles. From the base of the tree, Compa stares at my eyes, her body unmoving. I turn my attention back to the two cloaked persons. The other one who I haven't heard speak yet raises their arms, but the cloaked man stops his companion.

"Don't. We'll retreat for now." He faces me. His mouth loses the smirk, but it's keeping a stern indifference as they leave.

I close my left eye once again and take a deep breath. In an instant, everything returns to normal—the star-filled sky is no longer purple, the moon is no longer a waxing halfmoon, but a waning gibbous instead. It might not go unnoticed from the locals around here, or anywhere for that matter if they were awake. But it's the least of my concern right now. From the way they reacted, they might not come back again, but if they do, I'm done for. "Compa, let's get back in the house. It's not safe out here." I reach to grab her arm, but she takes a step back, retreating her back onto the tree behind her. ". . . I see . . . So, that's how it's going to be? Guess I should've expected this."

"W-wait, I was just surprised. I didn't mean to—"

"You don't need to explain. I get it, okay?" I turn around and scratch the back of my head. It's probably for the best that I get away from her life. Same goes for IF. If I continue to contact them like I am now, those people might come back to attack them some more. Maybe if I can show them that they have nothing to do with me, they won't attack them anymore. It's not a bad idea; I've been living by myself for the majority of my life—there's no reason for me not to do the same again here.

"What do you mean?" Compa asks.

"It's always the same thing. No one acknowledges or wants to have anything to do with me." And it's not their faults anyway. It won't surprise me even if everyone in the city throws stones at me for walking on their streets.

"That's not true. There's plenty of people who cares about you." Compa walks up behind me and reach a hand to me, but I stop her before she can make it.

"Listen to me." I face her, but still keep my left eye closed. "Sooner or later those people are gonna come back and hit you with something worse. I can't protect you, and with IF's condition, I'm not sure if both of you can survive. The best course of action is to forget everything about me. It shouldn't be a problem." I'll keep a close eye on them once they forget about me to make sure nothing happens to them. But I won't interact with them anymore.

She doesn't say anything. With her head downcast, she has both her hands clutching in front of her chest.

"You understand this, don't you?" I get a slow nod from her. "Good. So, from this point onward, you'll forget each and everything about me, from the moment we met to this moment in front of your house, and especially what you witnessed here. Throw whatever you saw here away, maybe act like they're just a dream, and live on like nothing ever happened."

It's my cue to leave. There's nothing else for me to do here, and I don't want her to get into danger again. Maybe once I do something about those people, I can come back here and tell her everything's fine.

I turn to leave from this place. It pains me to do this without giving her a proper explanation, but sometimes it's better to have ignorance to things.

". . . Are you really okay with that?" Compa asks, stopping me right before stepping out of her yard.

"I am."

"But that's so sad. Why would I ever want to forget everything about a friend?"

A churning sensation spreads throughout my abdomen as I bite the insides of my mouth. "I'm flattered, but I suggest you pick out which are good to have and which are a burden."

"Are you saying you're a burden?" She locks eyes to mine. The blows of the wind almost deafen my ears as I process what she said.

"That's up to you to decide. Besides, we've only known each other recently. I'm not one of your . . . er . . . I'm not part of your group. So please, forget about me."

"I'm not doing that."

Heat rises on my face. "Stop fooling around. This isn't something neither you or I can handle."

"I know someone who can. If we just tell them about this, we can—"

"I'm telling you, that can't happen!" I yell without thinking.

She falls silent. Her mouth opens and closes as though trying to say something, but no noise or voice comes out of it. My sudden rise in my tone must've been too much for her. I shouldn't have done that. She doesn't know anything, and whatever happened here wasn't her fault. I shake my head and tell her, "Sorry, but please understand."

I feel a hand on my shoulder. The gesture flinches me, jolting my head to where it's coming from. "It's alright. You don't have to worry about me. I have Nep-Nep, Ge-Ge, IF . . ."

"Of course you do." I've seen Nepgear handle a sword quite well. As long as she's around, I'm sure she'll be fine. But to make sure this thing never happens again, I have to leave.

"And you too." Her words grab my full attention. I squint my eyes (it doesn't matter for me even if she's seeing 'it' right now) and furrow my brows as I turn to look at her own glittering eyes. Eyes that doesn't have a single speck of hatred I'm used to seeing from other people. And, for the second time in my life, I don't doubt her. There's no reason for me to, and there's no reason I can't believe her. I don't know why, but—

"Maybe . . ."

"Hm? Maybe what?"

"No, it's nothing." I have her let her hand off of my shoulder and turn around and walk forward.

"Maki—"

"Are you gonna stand there? You'll catch a cold." I wink at her and head inside the house. She stands in place, petrified, until she snaps out of it and follows suit shortly after and takes care of both our wounds. We talk about a different topic for a while, none of us bothers to discuss what happened earlier, until she slides into her own bedroom and leaves me in the living room to rest.

~0~0~0~

Morning dawns on the house and I jump out of the couch I used for sleeping and make my way for the kitchen, finding and grabbing a pot to make tea with and placing it on top of the stove for heating after adding water inside it. I rummage through every single compartment I can fit my hands into but can't find any single tea leaves around.

The pot already has some smoke emitting from it and the only thing I can add there are the mints I have inside of a brown pack from one compartment from my coat's pockets. Not something I'd want every morning, but I can make an exception.

Then again, I've been making too many exceptions lately. I don't want to make any more than this if necessary. How can I have people trust me if I can't keep an oath? Everyone will see me as a liar at that point.

Have people trust me, huh . . .?

As I pour in the mints, I think back on the events last night.

" _Maybe . . ._ "

" _Hm? Maybe what?_ "

Maybe, just maybe, I can prove them wrong. About their plans, and about their goals. I don't quite understand what gain they'll have for doing them, but whatever it is, I won't let them get their way. After all, I forced them to retreat last night.

But that was possible because of 'it' and not because of my own strength. I had no choice. If I want to prove them wrong, I need to get stronger. But I don't have a weapon. Well, I have _those_ , but they're not something I can use for simple stuff.

The pot whistles and I put the fire out. While I pour the water on a mug I found from a cupboard, the depths of my stomach twists again.

" _. . . Are you really okay with that?_ "

" _I am_."

" _But that's so sad. Why would I ever want to forget everything about a friend?_ "

Does Compa trust me? Even after everything that happened last night? She might be doing this out of kindness again, but there might be a slight chance she does. Right?

I slam the pot down on the table and snatch the mug with mint-flavored water and reach in for a sip. Except, as it nears the tips of my lip, I freeze in place after hearing a loud creaking noise from the other side of the room.

"It's you again. What are you doing here?"

Before I turn to look at the person who entered the kitchen, I close my left eye shut and turn my attention to her.

"IF?"


	7. A Morning in Planeptune

**Chapter 7**

 **A Morning in Planeptune**

"IF? Should you be up right now?" I ask.

"I'm good. I prefer walking around than lie in bed all day," she says. "What about you? I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Yeah, well, things happened and I ended up here."

"I see . . ."

Bandages cover her entire body—right around the torso, around her head, and one supporting her left arm. She doesn't have her tank top on (only the top; she's still wearing her tank bottoms) but still wears the oversized jacket. She doesn't have her ribbon on her head as well.

"What are you doing there?" she asks.

"Trying to remember someone's name, plus waiting for this thing to boil," I say. The wounds must be that bad for her to look like this. I want to avoid talking about it for now since she just woke up, but I'm still curious whether the cloaked man really was the one who gave her those wounds. But with the way his blade dripped blood on its tips, I'm sure I already know the answer to the question even without asking her. "Say, can I ask what happened to you?"

She turns around, looking at her left arm as though it is something she never seen before. "I'd like to tell you, but the thing is, I . . . don't remember."

"Don't remember? Not even a tiny bit?" She slowly shakes her head. "That's problematic." He must've done something more than just attack her. But if IF doesn't remember, there's nothing we can do about it.

"Don't sweat it. I'm just glad that I didn't get any scars. You wouldn't want to approach me if I did." Her tone has a mix of sarcasm with it, but I doubt it'll end well for me if what she said does happen. There was a time when the princess got a pimple, and when I pointed it out, she didn't talk to me for the rest of the white half-moon.

By this time, the pot whistles, telling me the water is ready and hot. I grab a mug and pour in the water. Small, clear smokes come out of the mug as it fills up. Afterward, I place in some of the mints that I took out a few moments ago and wait. If I was in a hurry, I'd chug it all down in one go and leave, but since I'm not, I want to let it soak in the water before doing so.

But that reminds me.

"Do you want some?" I ask IF.

I'm not sure about other people, but whenever I wake up first thing in the morning, my stomach complains to me so much I always have to prepare some food in the night beforehand otherwise it won't ever shut up.

She doesn't answer for a few moments until the aroma of the mint kicks in. This is what I'm talking about; the strong yet fragrant stench of the mint is perfect in the morning, at least to me.

"You know what? Hand me some of those as well."

Good choice. These mints come fresh from the garden right beside my house. I don't mean to brag, but I grow some fine mints. Too bad I can't refill the bag.

"Take this one." I hand her the mug that I initially plan to drink from. She thanks me and plops down on the sofa in the living room where I slept on.

She takes a sip and sighs. She moves her wrapped arm around in front of her but puts it back down once she flinches from an obvious pain. Must be tough for her, but I don't want to give her any pity. I'm sure she'd hate that, or at least that's what I think so. Alice hated whenever I did pity her for hurting herself, and the princess ignored me whenever I pitied with her when her dress was delayed for arrival. Needless to say, I make sure to take caution on who to give pity.

"I can probably make us some breakfast. How does that sound?"

"Hmm . . . what the heck, why not? What are you making?" she asks.

Well, for one thing, I'm not sure yet because I haven't checked the fridge for ingredients. Having something heavy for breakfast is no good in my opinion.

"I got some idea, but are there any eggs in the fridge?" Upon opening the fridge, the compartment where the eggs are—well, _were_ supposed tosit are missing. Perfect, I don't suppose the market will open around this warm shade of the sun.

"Any luck? IF asks.

"No, eggs are out. Where in Lluna am I supposed to get some eggs this early in the morning?" There are some hams though. I'll take them out and put them on a bowl to let them defrost for now.

"I don't know where you can find there, but there's a convenience store somewhere around the block from here. It should be open right about now. Try heading there. Who knows, you might get lucky and get a bargain." Huh. Is that why they're called convenient stores? Nonetheless, it's good enough.

"I'll head out then. Be right back." Luckily, I have some Credits stocked up from the quests we did yesterday.

I get out of the house, morning birds singing their wake-up songs, dawn slowly coming into place, and the wind still being the annoying fly that doesn't want to leave you alone until the sun comes out (but even then, it still won't leave you alone). Then the blazing beams become the new flies. There just aren't any good time to go outside without feeling like a wreck.

Except for the morning, that is. It's better than the sun being at its peak or the half point before dusk.

Along the way, I put in some of the mints in my mouth. It's not exactly to ease the growling in my stomach, but to have my mouth do something in the meantime. A long walk like this can get boring quickly.

When I arrive at the convenience store, which is pretty small by the way, I push one of the glass doors and get to a section filled with egg cartons. Usually, whenever I have eggs for breakfast and there is a guest with me (not in my house though), the standard amount I go for each person is two eggs. Boiled, fried, scrambled, omelet, it doesn't matter. Having two eggs is how I do it. Naturally, at least for me, the good eggs are the small ones (in terms of pricing that is).

While paying at the counter, my eye dozes off outside mostly because the guy behind the counter is taking his sweet time adding the prices one by one. Apparently, the small device used for scanning item prices broke down so he needs to do it manually. It's quite ironic and inconvenient.

After stifling a yawn, I raise an eyebrow to a specific person walking outside. _It's her again,_ I think to myself. That same person who looked the same as the princess. Her name is Nepgear, if I remember correctly.

"What could she be doing this early in the morning?" She's carrying something in her hands. It's a little hard to see since she has her back on me, although something long and thin sticks out.

The employee finishes (thank goodness) calculating the prices and hands in the needed amount. Nepgear is still nearby so when I exit the store, with a bag of eggs in hand, I get near and call for her attention. This, however, startles her and almost gives me a heart attack from her ear-piercing yelp.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," I say, rubbing my left ear. She can rival a siren if she can do this much damage with her voice.

"M-Maki? When did you get here?" she asks.

"Only now. I bought some eggs from the convenient store," I point at the store with the other hand that's not holding the plastic filled with eggs. "What about you? What are you doing at this hour? I don't assume you're doing any community service or I'd be in complete awe." I'd still be in awe even then. From what that woman I encountered while waiting for IF, she said Planeptune doesn't have many people going around in the morning.

She holds her hand outward towards me with the thing sticking out of it. A green screen with grid is on it. There are also two red dots flicking on it as well. "I found this in the garbage can nearby," she says. Okay, I'll pretend I never heard her say that. "So, I brought it back with me and fixed it. I'm testing it out right now. I found that it's supposed to detect heat waves, but I'm not sure yet."

This might take long if I let her continue. Better wrap this up before that happens. "That sounds interesting, but as you can see, I still need to cook up some breakfast." I raise the plastic full of eggs.

"That's alright. See you around, mister." That ended fairly quickly. Got to hand it to her though, her ability to focus on that thing is commendable, to say the least.

She turns back and continues on her trail. I've bitten most of the mint by now and the thought strikes me as her figure disappears in the distance. _She really does resemble the princess._ Not only in looks, but the aura around her as well. If she really was the princess, I'll have a tough time looking at her eyes.

On the trip back to Compa's house, the shops that were closed earlier open up, a few people going around probably doing their routines, and the dogs running around with their packs make the streets less isolated. Nothing out of the ordinary there, except for the people who are looking up and pointing at something. When I follow what it is, I regret it, almost letting go of the plastic on my hand.

 _It's her! The same woman from yesterday. The same one who thought I attacked IF. Has she spotted me?_

Some are saying "It's Purple Heart!" Is that her name? Her head turns somewhere in my direction. Alarms goes off in my head. My legs force me to move into another alleyway. Did she saw me? Hopefully she didn't. Then again, she shouldn't be able to recognize me from that height.

But when she looks back to the view in front of her, the tension in my body drains. Sighing, I resume my way back. If that thing last night didn't happen, then maybe I could've looked at her differently than I am now.

Once I reach Compa's house again, I grab the doorknob but doesn't need twisting to open. Did someone open it already?

"Ah, there he is." IF's voice makes me jump. Before I get the chance to ask her whether he or she was the one who left the door open, I get a glance of the two girls sitting around the living room, which the sight makes me tilt my head to the side.

"Nepgear?" I say. I saw her a few moments ago, but to think she went here is a shock to me.

"Huh? It's you again," she says. "Wait, does that mean he's making your breakfast?"

"Pretty much," IF says. "I only have one good arm right now and Compa's still asleep. I'd wake her up, but I don't want to disrupt her sleep. So, yeah, he's making breakfast for now."

"Oh, don't cha worry, Iffy! Your little secret is safe with us," Neptune says, giving a cheeky wink to IF.

After hearing her words, it leaves me creasing my forehead. But IF, on the other hand, has her face turning bright red. She stumbles on her words, denying more of Neptune's nonsense to her about her little "secret." Prying into someone else's secrets isn't my thing, but the way Neptune keeps teasing her has my brain screaming at me to know more. To get rid of this thought, I go to the kitchen to make the breakfast. It helps a bit but not a whole lot.

I place the plastic on the table and grab another bowl. After giving a quick rinse, I heat up the frying pan on the stove.

"What are you making?" Nepgear asks after entering the kitchen. She's doesn't have the device on her hand earlier. Where did she put it, I wonder?

"Well, since both of you are here, I thought I'd cook up something we can all eat," I say. And it's livelier as well with more people. It's a good thing I bought more eggs otherwise I'll have to go back to the convenient store. "I'll be making some omelet. You can wait in the living room while I cook." I crack two eggs in the bowl and mix them with a pair of chopsticks after adding salt, pepper, and some ham I left around on the table.

"Do I really look like the princess you knew?" Nepgear's words catches me off guard, jerking my head around as I continue to mix the contents in the bowl.

The question surprises me, of course, but I guess I was expecting a question like this to pop up at some point. After all, I mistook her the first time I met her. But nonetheless, I'm not against answering her question. In fact, it eases my mind if I do so. "You have the same face, nose, and ears. But her hair's not purple like yours. Nor is it straight. She has a bit of curls on the ends." My chest grows heavy the more I talk. I thought I was okay with this, but I guess not. It takes me deep breaths to keep my composure.

"I'm sorry. It must be painful for you to talk about." Even her words sting like the princess'. "You were with IF yesterday, right? Compa told me." If there's one thing I can appreciate her for, it's her sudden change to the subject. I'm sure she noticed, but she stopped pursuing it so she won't give pity to me. I guess now I know why Alice and the princess hated the feeling.

"That's right. What about it?"

"Do you have any idea what happened to her?"

I pause. _Yes, I do know_ , I want to tell her that, but that might cause another incident like the night before. I can't have another person get involved with me as I what happened with Compa. Even if she does know how to fight. I rather they not fight in the first place.

"No. I only knew she was like this when I arrived last night." I can't let her know that I met with that Purple Heart woman yesterday as well, accusing me that I did it.

"Really?"

I nod.

She ends it there and goes back to the living room. I can't shake the feeling that there's something more to this than meets the eye. She never mentioned about the princess earlier in the streets, so why ask me now, of all times?

I finish up cooking the omelet, adding the butter to the heated pan and then after it melts, in goes the eggs. I repeat these steps a couple of times until all of the six eggs are out. The pepper gives the eggs a nice aroma. I place them all on a large plate and fill a pitcher with water. There's something I use often in my old job; a foldable metal tray for situations like these. It's actually a present I got from the princess' mother, the queen. After that, I never let this bad boy go to waste. I always make sure that it's good for use at any notice.

I return to the living room, with the tray in hand, and proceed to place it on the table. One quick note, Neptune is, oddly enough, munching down on her cup of pudding already. I've never met someone who eats sweets this early. She's the first. Not even the princess is this desperate with her trays of cakes and sweets.

"Here it is. I do hope you enjoy," I say, dropping the contents of the tray into the table. All three of them claim a seat. Neptune and Nepgear sit next to each other, while IF sits on the opposite end. "Anything else you'd like?" Not again. I've grown too used to this habit. It took me a while to get rid of it, but they die hard, don't they? As I expect, however, someone takes notice to this.

"Ooh, ooh! Is this what they call the legendary bread n' breakfast where you can order anything you want?" Neptune says with her eyes shining as though it was thoroughly polished.

I'm one hundred percent sure there's no such thing as a legendary bed n' breakfast. Where does she come up with all of these nonsenses?

"Interesting," IF says. "Hey waiter, get me a nice warm glass of lemon juice, pronto. There're lemons on top of the fridge, if you're wondering. Now, chop-chop." She claps as she gives a smug. She's still thirsty even after drinking that minty water?

A bead of sweat forms on my forehead. "Erm, I mean, yes, I can get you some but—"

"Oh, can you get me some light oil too? Any brand can do," Nepgear says. "I need to clean the rust off another thing I found somewhere lying around." That's not something you want on your food table! Also, picking something off the ground again? This girl is such a scavenger. Or a garbage collector? Actually, maybe a recycler is appropriate.

"Oh, I give up. Fine, I'll get your lemon juice, nice and warm. Some light oil for Nepgear, but I'll get it after eating, alright?" They both nod in understanding. Oh, the life of me.

"Hey, hey! Don't forget about me!" Neptune screeches. "Get me a pudding refill."

"Where on Lluna am I supposed to get some more pudding?" There are no puddings in the fridge. Nor are there any sweets in it to begin with.

"That's no biggie. Look over there," she points at the couch in the living room, "all of the puddings are in there." Are those still the ones from when we clashed each other the other day? Or are they brand new ones. Oh, whatever, it's not like I need to know. "Don't worry, they're new ones I've pre-ordered online."

Nevermind, I have my answer.

"Oh-kay . . .?"

I just nod and head back to the kitchen, suppressing the urge to sigh. My hands reach for the lemons above the fridge and put them down on the kitchen table. I gaze at the somewhat smooth texture of the lemons, an idea swirling in my head. I can turn this into cocktail if I have the ingredients. But that's out though, plus there is no glass to compliment that as well. Guess I better start squeezing then.

Once the juice is ready, I place it on my tray then go and grab one cup of pudding inside the plastic Neptune showed me, across the room of course. Really, it's the same as a pile of junk shoved inside without a single care in the world.

"Here you are," I say, putting the glass of lemon juice on the side of the table closer to IF. Afterwards, I give Neptune her cup of pudding in which she answers by ripping out the seal and starts devouring it like some hungry animal who hasn't found prey for days.

"Gotta say, this drink actually tastes pretty good," IF says while taking another sip.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"To be fair, I expected you to squeeze the lemon on a glass and add some warm water only."

"Well, it may not seem like it, but my mother used to always make me a glass of lemon juice every blue moon. It's not only limited to a blue moon, though; she gives me some whenever I have bad mornings. One time, she even made me some on a yellow moon."

"Blue moon? Yellow moon? I thought moons are all white." Neptune asks.

"Not all of them. Blue moon is, you know, when everything gets colder," I say.

"Uhm, er, well, I never heard of that one before," Nepgear says.

"Never heard of it?"

"I think he means blue moon is the month of December, am I right?" IF says.

I raise an eyebrow. "Come again? Er . . . December?"

". . . . ." They all stare at me. Something tells me I ended up asking another stupid question.

They don't know what a blue moon is at all. I was secretly hoping they would give me some hints when I say it. It makes it more likely that I'm not in Lluna at all anymore, even though I knew it from the start. Even when I traveled for a long time in Lluna, there are always places that changed overtime, sometimes it's so fast that updating the map is always a pain.

IF and Nepgear explain what the whole month and year thing works to me—along with some random comments from Neptune from time to time. But there are some similarities. Like the days. For an hour or two (IF tells me), they discuss more about the concept of time in their world. In the middle of our discussion of converting seconds to minutes, Compa creeps out of her room and joins us at the table. Her hair is a complete mess to which IF brushes it neatly with her free hand.

"You alright, Compa? It's not like you to wake up this late," IF asks.

Compa yawns before responding, which by the way was quite large, and says, "Is that strange? Well, I guess it's because I stayed up late last night."

"What? Late night shifts again? I told you to stop working that late, didn't I?"

"Oh, that's not it, it was something else. There's no need to worry about it," Compa says.

I keep a wary eye on Compa, waiting until she tells everyone about last night. It . . . never happens. She's actually keeping her word of not telling them about our conversation last night, as well as what she saw. That doesn't mean I can let my guard down though, not like last time.

There is still a chance she'll expose it to them once I'm out of sights. If it comes to that, I'll be read for it. It won't happen like last time.

 _I won't let that happen ever again. Never._


	8. White Flower Bloom

**Chapter 8**

 _White Flower Bloom_

Darkness. Nothing but darkness. No one is around me, not my mother, not my father, no one.

How long have I been here? A hundred blue moons already? Maybe even thousands? Or maybe even trillions? Ugh, I'd want to say that I'm tired of all this darkness, but I'm not feeling anything at all. What am I supposed to do with myself?

Is this how feeling nothing works? Wandering around aimlessly until boredom strikes in? Am I even dead at all? I could be asleep for a very long time for all I know. Lucky me, lucky me, I didn't even have my favorite slice of shortcake yet. If only my room service bell was here, then I'd be drowning myself in various sweets to try out.

 _. . .Wa. . .up. . ._

Oh yeah! My dress is about to arrive tomorrow, well, _supposed_ _to_ anyway. Uuuuh, I even requested for a really nice design to it too. I had planned to dance with it as well.

 _. . .It's. . .ning. . .illy. . ._

Why was I going to dance again? The dress is not for my usual dresses for collection now, is it?

 _. . .C'm. . .sto. . .bei. . ._

The banquet! Right, it was another banquet father made again. Ahh, the good times. I wanted to dance with him this time and not some random hotshot who thinks they can do whatever they want with me.

 _. . .Hurry. . .up. . .!_

Five more minutes. I'm still in the middle of my monologue. I have no problem if it's urgent, but it gets irritating if it's not.

 _. . .Pla. . .tun. . ._

Platchun? What's that supposed to mean? I recall nothing of the sorts for the banquet.

 _. . .We. . .have. . .to. . .go. . ._

Slowly, my eyes open (still blurry) and a figure with brown hair is right above me. Her legs fold while sitting with one arm on my shoulder and the other is on her lap. I blink twice and rub on my eyes, telling it to focus already. She's small, in fact, she's wearing a white coat and a hat almost the same size as her head.

"Rom," she says, "quit being a sleepy head and get ready!"

"Get ready for what?" I ask with a mix of a yawn, giving this weird sound. Another thing to note, my voice sounds different. It's softer than how I remember.

"Have you forgotten already? We're going to Planeptune today. We can see Nepgear again so hurry up! I'm heading over to Mina, don't take too long."

She slams the door behind her, leaving me half-covered under the white sheets that have the smell of mandarin while trying to figure out the slightest thing that just happened. Also, stuff toys. And they're everywhere around the room. Not to mention how vibrant the color variations are. It all seems . . . childish.

Hold on, that girl earlier was a kid, right? She didn't seem tall and this whole place is evident enough. But then the next question would be: What am I doing here in the first place?

"Better not think about it too much for now." Not like the situation will get any better if I stay here. That girl, who is she? She didn't see me as a stranger at all. No, it's more like she's accustomed to me already. Why is that though? I'm sure this is the first time I've met her. Nothing in my memories shows anyone who looks similar to her.

Hold on, she called me with a strange name. It definitely wasn't my name. What did she call me again? Whatever it is, I'll go along with it for now.

I move the sheet covering my legs to the side of the bed. _My legs._ They're smaller than what I'm used to plus a gray skirt underneath a pastel blue jacket with white frills in the center where the golden buttons are. When I look at my arms, there are puffy sleeves at wrist length. Okay, I'm sure I wore something else than this. My mind is already getting foggy from this alone.

I get up and leave the room using the only door in the room. To my surprise, a long hallway awaits me to reach its endpoint. This reduces the tension around my body, but I still need to find a way out of here.

Fortunately, I'm able to get to the area for the entrance (or maybe at the back, I'm not sure. This might also be the way to the garden just like at home). The long brown-haired girl from earlier is right by the gigantic double-doors. She turns around and waves at me, the same way two friends greet each other after not seeing each other for a long time.

"Rom, hurry up! We're leaving soon," she says.

 _Rom?_ I think to myself. _Is that supposed to be my name?_

She's not the only one there, though. There are two more people beside her, who also turn around to my direction. One has a top-dress that consists mostly of white with some brown lining around the top and bottom sides. The sleeves don't link to the dress and have brown furs near the shoulder area. She has a puffy hat on her head that matches her outfit. Another thing, her sleeves are so long that her hands are not visible at all. She says to me, "You took a while. Are you feeling sick?" in the most monotone sound I've ever heard.

"No, not at all. I . . . got a bit lost," I say. That might have been a red flag. Her face frowns and asks another question.

"Lost? Are you sure you're all right?" she says. This will become a problem if I don't think of something quick. Think, think . . . Augh, nothing's coming to my mind.

"Perhaps we should leave her behind and let her rest. What do you think, Miss Blanc?" another woman this time with a long, red robe with gold linings with three big golden buttons in the front underneath a white dress. She's wearing a strange, pointy hat, which is also red, and when I say pointy, I mean it has four points shaping a square.

"Hm, that might be a good idea. I'll trust you can take care of her while I'm gone, Mina?" Blanc asks.

"Naturally. I'll keep watch of her," Mina says.

From my understanding earlier, I'm supposed to go along with them somewhere. It's arguable that staying here is a good choice for starters since I have no idea where am I. However, before I even realize it, I shout to them, "Wait, hold on, I want to come along too."

"Don't push yourself. You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," Blanc says, but I shake my head in response.

"I'm not pushing myself at all. I want to come along, please?" she hesitates, crossing both of her arms together.

"Let her come, Blanc."

"Ram?" Blanc says.

"She said she's fine, didn't she? That means she's all right going. C'mon, let her come already! Please, please, please." Ram pesters Blanc for a little while until she gives up and sighs.

"All right, you can come. But tell me if there's anything wrong, got that?" I nod.

I don't know why I insist on coming, even though I've no idea who any of them are, yet somehow, I know they have no ill intentions against me. At least, that's how it feels like. Two armored women (they're most likely the guards of this place) open the two large gates, one on each of the door.

 _Okay, now_ that's _cold_ , I think to myself. Even the slightest gap on the door they made was enough to engulf my skin with bags of ice.

"H-how d-d-do we get t-to . . ." I can't even speak my words properly. I think the wind is blowing through my veins. Not the best feeling.

"Hee hee." Hee hee? "We're gonna fly there, we always do," Ram says, raising both of her hands high as though she can reach the clouds above. This, however, raises dozens of questions. _Fly? Are we using the great winged beast?_

Before I ask how we are to fly at all, both Blanc and Ram's bodies shine to the point where I need to cover my eyes. Glowing, their bodies are _glowing_. What's going on?

"Here we go, transform!" That voice. It's . . . Ram's, right? Her energetic tone is there. Blanc's tone is less expressive so I can't imagine it being hers. Before long though, after the bright light dissipates, two new girls appear out of nowhere. Well, maybe not out of nowhere seeing that there was light earlier. Then the next question is: Who are they?

The shorter of the two has pink hair with an uneven bang on one side. She wears a tight white bodysuit that reaches all the way to her hands and feet. Almost as if they are her gloves and shoes already. It's not only white per se, but it also has pink lines on both sides of her body, on her arms, on the backside of the legs, and on the soles. Her eyes are bright blue with some strange shapes for pupils. Clutching on her left hand is a large rod that doesn't look like wood at all. Not like the ones I've seen.

"Wha—?" This is all so sudden that the words aren't coming out of my mouth. It catches up in my throat and in no way, shape, or form to escape anytime soon.

"Hm? What'cha standing there for? Transform already!" That's definitely Ram's voice.

Her words hit me harder than the time I keep messing up the dance moves (my instructor told me it does). _This is bad. This is terrible._ How am I supposed to tell her I can't do what she did at all? They will get suspicious for sure. Is this it? Is the jig up? I only want to find out what this place is, but it doesn't seem like it will happen.

Then again, why am I hiding in the first place? I can just tell them I'm not who they know and maybe get some help. Or worse, they'll kick me out in this giant cooler.

"What's the holdup?" Is that Blanc's voice? It's not like earlier where it barely had any note. Instead, it has more crisp in it.

"Rom?" Ram asks.

Blanc's sudden change in voice isn't the thing that paralyzed my body. It was her looks. Her hair is now a light blue color with the side bangs of her hair almost reaching all the way to her waist. Like Ram's, her outfit is a tight suit that consists mainly of white, although there are slight blue colors on the waist. Unlike Ram's though, her sleeves and legs are independent from the torso. The pupils also have these weird shapes but her eyes are crimson.

"Th-the thing is, I can't . . . I can't transform," I lessen the volume when it reaches the end. Perhaps I'm being too desperate right now? There's no way they can believe me for saying this. I mean like, I'm supposed to know how to do what they did, right?

"Hmm . . . Our shares have been quite low for a while now," Blanc says. "Maybe that's why you didn't look like your usual self."

No way. I can't believe this, but maybe, just maybe, I can find a way out of this. "Y-yeah . . .," I say, trying to wipe the sweat off my head even though it's cold.

Also, did I mention that Blanc is holding an axe that's about the same size as her? It's nothing like the ones I've seen before be it the lumberjacks use or the soldiers. Blanc drops it down, releases her grip from the handle and it disappears (not without vibrating the land for a few seconds). _Disappeared, it disappeared._ I kid you not. One moment it's poking its head on the ground and the next moment it went away in thin air.

Blanc walks towards me, closing in the distance between us. Instinctively, and also regretfully, I take a step backward in response. Lucky for me though, she didn't seem to react from that gesture. The tension of my body loosens after realizing that.

. . . Oh, how wrong I am. My whole body tenses up to the point where the muscles are straining (my heart even skipped a beat). Why? Because Blanc grabs me by both of my hands and gets into the air immediately right after. She flies up so fast that the ground beneath me is beyond my reach. Ram also follows suit and gets near both of us.

"Let's go," Blanc says, moving so fast that the sound of the wind is deafening.

"I can't wait to see Nepgear again! Right, Rom?" Ram asks. I look at her (she's at my right) and, with a gulp, nod with an awkward smile.

What have I gotten myself into? Nothing is literally making any sense for me. I've been going along with this and it's not easing my worries in the slightest. This is too much for me, way too much. Maybe once this trip is over, I can relax for a while and think about what I will do.

 _I could really use that strawberry shortcake about now._


	9. CPUs of Planeptune

**Chapter 9**

 _CPUs of Planeptune_

"So, what are you two doing here?" IF asks the sisters.

"Oh right," Nepgear says. "Histoire wanted to find out who attacked IF." We're jumping into this topic already?

"I don't know what happened. I just went out of the Guild and in the next moment, everything became black. I didn't even have the chance to figure out what happened." That leaves us in the dark. If there are no clues, we can't take any actions.

"Neptune said that she saw someone who looked dangerous getting near IF. It's a wild guess, but we think that might be our culprit."

"I saw the guy, but it was so dark that I couldn't catch his face," Neptune adds. "BUT! That person had something freaky glowing on his eye though." She's another witness? But I didn't see her anywhere last night though.

"Freaky how?" IF asks.

"I dunno. It disappeared the split moment I look away. My protagonist's intuition is telling me it'll be tough to find this person."

"It doesn't sound like something Arfoire would do," Nepgear says. Arfoire? Is she some criminal in Planeptune?

"Nah, of course not," Neptune comments. "This might be one of those super badass bosses this time around that needs detectives to find them. And with that~ Detective Neptune is on the case!"

"We can't go around investigating without a lead," IF says. That's true. It'll only lead to frustration when you go around without even the slightest clue to start.

"Then, then! What do you suggest commander IF?"

"Aren't there any more clues?" Compa asks.

"Ah, that's right," Nepgear says. "There was another case like this in Lowee not too long ago. Blanc is coming here today to tell us what happened."

"Couldn't she have just told us on our video call last night?" Neptune questions.

"She wanted to speak with Histoire about this in private, Sis."

"Heee? So, we'll keep lonely Noire and Vert in the dark or something?"

"They're dealing with different problems in their nations. That's why Blanc is the only person we'll be working with on this one."

"Ooh, ooh! Let's give her a big welcome party once she gets here!" Neptune declares.

"Nep, this is serious. We don't have time to waste our time on a party," IF says.

"What about you, Maki? Don't you have any say in this?" Nepgear asks.

To be honest, I rarely meddle with other people's affairs unless I'm instructed to. But that person set me up. Maybe is, maybe isn't. Still, I won't be sitting here and become a victim of the accused again. "We still have loopholes. Maybe once we meet this Blanc person, we can get more clues, then we can do something about it."

"Oh, almost forgot. You don't know about Blanc yet, do you?" IF says. "She's the CPU of Lowee. The nation I told you about yesterday."

"I see. What's she like?" I ask.

"You'll definitely like her!" Neptune says. "She's the queen for beating enemies senseless. Especially when you make her angry." I've got questions and worries with that statement.

"Don't worry about it. She's not a terrible person once you get to know her," Nepgear adds.

"When are we meeting them?" Compa asks.

"They'll be arriving in the Basilicom. We're hoping you all can come with us there. We can discuss something even further there with Histoire." She's the Oracle if I remember correctly. Hopefully, she has more details about the situation at hand.

"Can you move, IF?" Nepgear asks.

"I'll be fine. We should get to Histoire as soon as possible. I want to have a piece on the culprit who did this to me."

"Are you coming along, Compa?" Neptune asks.

"I'm sorry, Nep-Nep, but I have work today."

"Aw, no biggie. We'll beat the bad guy so don't you worry a single thing," Compa nods at her statement.

They also ask me about coming along as well. Naturally, I agree with it. Even though Neptune couldn't see me, I need to take precautions just in case they find out I was the one she saw last night along with that Purple Heart woman. The plan is to go to the Basilicom right now but . . .

"AAAHHH!"

Screaming, and it's a chorus of them. Everyone rushes out of the house to see what the commotion is about. There are monsters attacking civilians. It's not a lot of them, but the soldiers are struggling to fight them off.

"What's going on? Monsters? Here in the city?" Nepgear says.

"Let's talk later. Those guys don't look like they'll last long," I say. There are multiple types of different monsters that makes it difficult to describe them exactly. Some of them have wings, some are four-legged, and others are these tiny square things.

"I can't fight in this state," IF says. "I'll leave it to you Gear and Nep."

"Just stand back and let the main protagonist get rid of these monsters!" Neptune says. "You'll help us, right Compa?"

"I'll help in any way I can."

"What about you, Maki? Can you fight?" Nepgear asks. I still don't have a weapon and the only thing I can help with is my fists. It's not much, but that should at least help them.

"I'll make sure that no civilians get hurt," I say. "Focus on getting rid of the dangerous ones." They all nod.

"Alrighty then!" Neptune yells as she takes out her sword out of nowhere. "Time to Nep things up." She rushes in one the monster that looks like a harpy that's pushing one soldier back. The harpy notices her and parries her attack with her claws.

"Neptune!" Nepgear says.

"E-ehehe . . . it's tougher than I thought."

"Don't worry, I'll help you out, Sis." Nepgear takes out the same hilt she used before that gets a shining blade to appear. She disrupts their parry and steps back.

During this, a dozen tiny square things surround three people nearby. I rush in the middle of the circle and fend them off. "Compa! Get these people to safety," she nods. Three of them try to hit my left leg, but I dodge it and sweep them away, causing them to disappear. These things don't seem tough, but the ones the two sisters are handling are.

"Over here," Compa says. "Go somewhere safe. We'll take care of things here." They thank and quickly leave the scene. The only ones left are the beat-up soldiers.

"Help the soldiers. I'll keep them away from you in the meantime." Finishing them off didn't take much time. The two sisters are still fighting the harpies. It's odd, those harpies are using the Gale Formation in the Harpy clan. IF joins me by my side in which I ask her, "Are the Harpy Clan enemies with Planeptune or something?"

"Harpy Clan? What are you going on about?" IF replies.

"Wait, are you telling me there's no Harpy Clan?" Then how are they able to use that formation? It is common for the normal harpy soldiers to learn it in their basic training, but those don't look like soldiers.

"Sis, I don't think we can handle them without transforming," Nepgear says. Did I hear that correctly? Transform? Is she talking about the enhancements?

"I wanted to surprise our new member when we see the big baddie," Neptune says. "Oh well, let's go, Nep Jr.!" Nepgear nods.

This I've got to see. At least the monsters on my side are all gone, I'll be able to see what she means about transforming. "Here we go. Processor unit activate," Nepgear says. Her whole body shines so bright that it's difficult to see. What a letdown, how am I supposed to witness it like this?

Neptune also says something similar and her own body glows as well. After a short while, they come out looking different from earlier. Nepgear's hair is pinker now and is wearing a white leotard. She has a large weapon on her hand. Is it still a sword? It's not the same glowing blade, and it has a strange shape. She's also floating with something that resembles wings on her back.

"Whoa, that's impressive," I say.

"Wait until you see Nep's," IF comments.

Neptune's body finally stops glowing. What will hers look like? It's hard to imagine with that small body of hers. Maybe it will be something similar to Nepgear's. They are sisters after all, right?

"Transformation complete," Neptune . . . says . . .?

"Surprised? Even I was like that when I first saw her transform," IF says. "Hm? Maki? Are you all right? Hello?" She waves her hands in front of me.

That double-braided purple hair, black leotard, strange sword, that . . . that's Neptune!? No way, don't tell me. _It was her!?_ That's _Purple Heart?_ My instincts force me to take a step back, but I stop myself to make sure I don't raise suspicion.

 _She said she couldn't see my face, right?_ But she still saw "it" though. Dammit, why must last night be a full moon?

"I commend you for being able to handle my attacks," Purple Heart says. "But I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you. She takes a stance and slices one harpy with ease. "Nepgear, aim for that one."

"On it." Nepgear points her weapon to the other harpy next to the one Neptune is fighting. "M.P.B.L.!" Her weapon releases a colorful stream of light and hits the harpy, disappearing like the rest. "All on you, Sis." Purple Heart slashes the last harpy, forcing it to flinch and finishing it off. Both sisters land on the ground and talks to the only soldier who's not badly injured.

Compa finishes patching the injured soldiers and joins IF as they compliment them for a job well done.

Meanwhile, I remain standing here, petrified and confused what move to do next. _When Neptune said she saw the culprit, that's when she was Purple Heart._ It's still hard for me to get it into my head. That noisy little girl is the woman who attacked and accused me.

This will make it tough for me to look at Neptune the same way. As long as they don't know it's me, I'll be fine. I want to believe that.

"Hey look," Nepgear says, pointing somewhere far in the distance in the sky. "That must be Blanc, Ram, and Rom." Ram and Rom? They didn't mention anyone else coming along.

I close in on the group and ask IF, "That's Blanc, right?"

"Yeah, that's her. She brought her sisters along too." Do every CPUs have sisters? Clear enough, I guess. Neptune has one, so I guess it's nothing out of the ordinary.

After a short while of waiting, Blanc arrives, dropping a little girl to the ground and looks around. "Did something happen here?" she asks.

"You just missed it," Purple Heart says. "Monsters attacked the city out of nowhere. We were lucky it was only this part."

Since the person Purple Heart is talking to is Blanc, I assume those two other girls are her sisters. "Hey, IF, are those Rom and Ram?" I ask.

"Yeah, that's them." She turns her attention to Blanc and calls out to her. "Can we introduce this person to your sisters?"

"Introduce to who?" Blanc then looks at me. "Who're you supposed to be? Well, whatever, go ahead. I'll deal with introductions later. Keep the two company or else they'll cause trouble again." Some troublemaking kids? They're not that bad now, are they?

The moment we get near the two, the transformed one changes back to her original. _Twins?_ I think. They have the same brown hair, same face, and similar outfits. If I have to be honest, they're a cute bunch.

"Huh? Who are you supposed to be?" The girl with long hair says.

"Hold on, I'll guess your names," I say while pretending to think carefully. I point at the longer-haired girl and say, "You're . . . Rom, right?"

"Nope, got it wrong! I'm Ram." Well, that figures. At least I tried, right?

"Call me Maki, nice to meet you." From the two of them, this one is quite lively. The other one must be Rom. She must be one of the shy ones, not saying anything until someone speaks to them or maybe scared to strangers. I'm hoping it's not the latter.

"Nice to meet you, Rom." I extend a hand to her but no response. She continues to stare at me as if she's peering right through my very soul. "Is she always like this?" I ask.

"No, not really," IF says. "She is shy, but she's not rude. Did anything happen to her, Ram?"

"She was acting kinda funny in Lowee. Hey, Rom, are you okay?" She pokes at her cheeks but still no reaction coming out of her.

Then out of nowhere, she grabs the fore and pinky finger of my hand. Her gaze still fixated on me. _Is there something about me making her act this way?_ This is my first time meeting her and according to IF, apparently, this is not her usual behavior.

"Is there anything on my face?" She's creeping me out. And she's not letting go of my fingers no matter how much force I'm giving to my pull.

"Y-you're . . .!" She finally speaks but immediately covers her mouth with both of her hands.


	10. The Girl Who Likes Cakes

**Chapter 10**

 _The Girl Who Likes Cakes_

"Do you prefer green or black tea?" Maki asks.

"I-I'd like something in the middle," I say.

"Somewhere in the middle? All right, I'll look for some. Don't go too far off. I'll be by that aisle over there if you need me for anything." He disappears to the third aisle from where I stand.

It's somewhere after the peak of the sun and right now we're here getting some stuff while the others are in the Basilicom. I'm the one who requested this by the way. Blanc's younger sister, Ram, wanted to come along with, but I convinced her not to come. It's not difficult to talk to her since she acts similarly to my sister.

This place is a shop full of various teas. It's not a large place, unlike the one in the kingdom.

Because there are so many leaves here, the air has this ticklish sensation around it. This kind of warmth and coziness of a tea shop is something I missed. I don't know how long, but it's very nostalgic.

Maki comes back from the aisle, carrying a small jar full of oolong leaves. "Did you wait long," he asks. I shake my head to answer.

After paying, we both go outside of the shop and walk along the sidewalks. _There are so many tall buildings here._ In fact, it's so many it makes the entire world spin around. We arrive at the next shop, this time it's full of pastry. The moment we enter, the smell of freshly baked bread, cakes, and all kinds of sweets welcome us.

"What do you want?" Maki asks.

I feel bad spending his money for me, but I long to get that shortcake. The display near the counter carries cakes with chocolate, coconut, vanilla icings, and more.

"I want the strawberry shortcake," I say.

"Shortcake, is it? Go ahead and take a look at the other displays while I order it." It makes me pout whenever he treats me like a kid (even though I technically am at the moment). But the new flavors and sweets grab more of my attention.

There are people who don't appreciate sweets as much since it has a lot of sugar on it. Maki is one of them. That's why he prefers drinking something more bitter.

Speaking of which, I still need more time to call him that without a blunder. I can't roam around here, calling him how I used to call him. Plus, he doesn't know who I am. It'll make it weird and awkward if I spurt out about it out of nowhere.

We're supposed to head back to the Basilicom once our shopping spree is over. So, after the shortcake, we wasted no more time dilly-dallying. After arriving at the Basilicom, Ram is standing by the door before the living room where everyone else is. _She probably waiting for me._ From what I've heard, I'm her sister.

"Welcome back! What did you bring? What did you bring?" Ram asks.

"We bought some cakes and tea for everyone to enjoy," Maki answers. "Why don't we go inside? The cake will go rotten if we don't preserve it properly."

All of them are relaxing around the couch. They must have ended their discussion already.

"They're finally here. Good, I'm starving," Neptune says. "I'd like a double cheeseburger with extra cheese on it."

"We don't serve any burgers." She boos at Maki with her thumb pointing down. "Either you want the cake or not, your choice."

"That's mean! I'll take it. I'll take it!"

Maki then asks everyone else what they want. He didn't only purchase cakes at the pastry shop, so there are varieties. Some answers with the cake, others request the rolls, and the rest wants sandwiches.

Of course, he gives me the strawberry shortcake he bought. It still has the same tasty cream even though it's from a different bakery.

When I'm about to take my third bite of the cake, the little blonde girl floating on a book, Histoire, calls for my attention and asks, "How are you feeling?" although she looks small, her voice doesn't match it. The way she speaks give off more of a mature woman kind of vibe than anything else, really.

"I'm good, why do you ask?" I answer.

"I'm just worried since Lowee's Shares are not in the mid-zone and Blanc told me you couldn't transform. Please, if there's anything wrong or if you feel anything unusual, don't hesitate to tell me."

"I will." It's good that I have an excuse for why I'm not able to transform, but getting too much attention will still raise trouble.

She floats off towards Neptune (she seems to scold her for something) and gets into some kind of argument.

I can finally eat my cake in peace. That's what I want to believe in, but then Ram intercepts the piece halfway to my mouth and devours it in her own mouth. Normally, I tell my trusty servant to get rid of this rudeness, but I need to remind myself that this is my sister here.

"How is it?" I ask her.

"It tastes so good," she replies. "Can I have some too?"

I raise an arm and call onto Maki. "Ram wants a piece. Slice her one, will you?" He overhears it, turning around facing his back to IF and asks me to repeat it.

I did, and he answers with, "One slice of shortcake coming up."

It's good to know he hasn't changed much. He seems to be having fun himself. Although, for some odd reason he has a patch obscuring his left eye. Did it already happen?

I want to observe him more, but Nepgear stops me, requesting my presence. Obliging, I sit next to her on the couch.

Compa sits on the opposite side from where I am with Histoire beside her and Blanc is sitting next to us. She's holding out a small book in front of her. She might be one of those heavy readers, maybe even the same levels as scholars. It's crazy how she doesn't flinch even though I accidentally kicked the table and made a loud _bang_ (which sends the blood on my foot pumping, not the best feeling).

"How's your magic training going?" Nepgear says. "I've heard from Mina you've been improving in the last couple of weeks."

 _Shoot_.

Are mere pleasantries not applied here anymore? She cut straight to the chase, wishing to hear the progress meant not for me but for Rom.

I didn't have the leisure to figure out what kind of magic I can use. Perhaps they'll believe me if I say that I'm still not feeling well enough to cast any? It's risky, but there's nothing else I can find worthy to be a good excuse.

"It's . . . going well," I say.

Lucky for me, our chit-chat goes on to trivial things and I'm able to sneak in some information from them.

Somewhere along the line, they change the topic to discuss a culprit attacking people at night. It apparently happened in Lowee and to IF. That explains the bandages covering her body. But if a culprit is doing something extreme like that, that'll make it harder for me to sneak away in the night.

Unless I can convince Maki to come along with him on his night scouting. If there's one thing I can remember about his tendencies, it's got to be his star-gazing habit.

But then there's the part of me being unwell. They might have someone to keep watch of me. If it happens, there's no way for me to sneak out at all. I can tell that my older sister, Blanc, will keep me under surveillance if they left me behind.

Just when I'm about to give up on my plans, Histoire suddenly says, "You'll be going around in the night in pairs to cover more ground."

Someway or another, the need to sneak out vanishes. Instead, a night patrol?

But then there's still the problem of leaving me behind. This whole being sick thing can be so inconvenient sometimes.

She continues, "Neptune will go with Maki."

Immediately when she says that, both my shoulders slump. _It shouldn't be a big deal._ I tell myself. I need to know if I'm coming with first anyway.

"Ram, don't cause too much trouble for Nepgear."

"What are you talking about?" Ram says. "I'm the best partner there is! We'll find this bad guy and put an end to this. No problem at all."

"Leave it to me," Nepgear says. "I'll make sure she doesn't get in danger."

"I'll trust you on that," Blanc says.

That's reasonable. She can't just let us pair up for something dangerous as this. At least with Nepgear, she'll be able to stay out of any dangerous situations. Who will be next? Blanc, Compa, IF, Histoire and I are the only ones left.

"And now for the last pair."

Huh? One last pair? So, that means it won't be all of us? If I don't get picked here, then I might opt for sneaking out instead.

"It will be . . ."

 _Please let me be in there_. I don't care if it's dangerous, taking this chance to explore the night is something I don't want to miss out on.

"Blanc," she says the first name. I close my eyes and cross my fingers while waiting for the next name to call out. But maybe it is for the best not being picked? If what they say is true, then this culprit might be stronger than I estimated it to be. _I'll shout when we do meet the person._ The others will come to help us, right? So, it should be fine. Now the only thing is the last person. Who will it be?

"You'll be able to protect Rom, won't you?"

That's my name, isn't it? She said it, didn't she? I'm going along with Blanc?

"That's fine by me," Blanc says. "I won't let any pervert lay a finger on my little sister. Make sure you don't stray off from me, okay?"

"Okay!" I say with glee.

This is it. _This is it!_ It's my chance to go out again.

I slump back on my couch, arms limping to the sides, breathing slower, and facing the ceiling. The corners of my mouth moving upwards. Maki and Neptune are having their own discussion in front of a big screen, Nepgear preparing some stuff while Ram is humming away at herself, Compa and IF agreeing to remain on standby in case anything happens, and Histoire briefing to Blanc what to do.

This is a good opportunity to figure out the magic I can use. If I can get it to work somehow, then I'll be able to provide actual backup.

This will be a long night.


	11. Night Owl

**Chapter 11**

 _Night Owl_

I might be getting the hang of the "time" concept here in Planeptune (or in any parts of Gamindustri for that matter). The arrows on my pocket watch are pointing at ten-oh-eight.

"I can check this as one of those rare good night occasions," I murmur to no one in particular. By 'good night,' I mean the night itself and not going to bed.

This is such a bliss. Temperature is not that low, wind visiting now and then, the street properly lighted (unlike that one night), and not a cloud in sight, well, mostly anyway. But the best part is _it's not a full moon anymore._ The moon itself is in the waning gibbous phase, even if it's only a little. As long as it's not an exact full moon, then I won't have to worry about anyone seeing what "it" is.

Nothing can get me away from this peacefulness, nothing at a—

"Gaahh! I'm so boooored." Right . . . almost forgot about Neptune. To be fair, it was a surprise for me when Histoire assigned me with her. Is she doing this on purpose?

"You know, hanging around the garbage can won't solve your problems," I say. She has her head buried underneath the can with the lower part of her body exposed.

"Can the event flag happen already? It'll take for- _ever_ to make anything happen at this rate. I just want to get back home and continue all my saves." The more I hear her speak this way, the more it convinces me she's not the same as the princess's younger sister or her HDD form. _How uncute._ It's a term I usually use for anything intolerable.

"Hey, take that back! Everyone knows I'm the cutest protagonist there is!" she retorts. Did she hear me or did I speak my thoughts too loud? It's probably not the latter part though. But there's still this one question: _How?_

Other than that, she might be using those strange comments to let my guard down on her. Almost positively even, since it's not a guarantee she's telling the truth when she said she didn't saw my face.

I take out and bite on a small roll from the bake shop I went with Blanc's little sister. It's actually quite good than expected. The bread isn't too soft or too hard on the teeth and the cranberry filling isn't overpowering to where it's sickening (that's something the kingdom's baker should work on— _like eugh)._

The girl who requested me to come with her was odd as well. First, she stares intently at me, holding my fore and pinky fingers and then the next moment, she had me watch over her than her sister. That's not something you can dismiss as a "coincident." That won't convince me. But I've got to say, her tastes are those of a kid, asking for strawberry shortcake and look around her surroundings with curiosity.

"Ahhh . . . I want some pudding. Give me pudding. Pudding, pudding, pudding," Neptune chants.

"If you wanted pudding, then you could've told me before we headed out," I say. "I would have brought some with me." Then maybe I can have my moment of peace and not a continuous buzzing noise.

"Oh!" Neptune gets her whole body inside the trash can and pops her head out with the lid acting as her hat. "I've got a great idea! Go get me some pudding."

"If I did, will you keep it down?" she nods. "All right, wait here. I'll go buy some." How wonderful it is to have her whole stock run out so quickly—and I mean _quickly_ —and can still shove more in her stomach.

"I'll keep an eye out while you're out getting the goods, Sarg!" she says . . . and then goes inside the can.

 _As long as she doesn't attack me out of nowhere once I come back,_ I think. The part we're assigned to patrol is on the opposite side where Blanc and Rom are (at least that's what Histoire said anyway). The only place selling pudding is on that side, so I head to that direction. It's not very hard to locate since the Basilicom is pretty much the tallest building in the city, but finding my way around is not the same case, however.

This part of the city has taller buildings than the other side, not Basilicom level, and fewer shops but more residences. It makes me wonder if slums exist here as well. It doesn't seem like anyone is having financial problems. Not that I've seen enough of people to confirm it though.

I finally arrive at the Basilicom, taking a good thirty minutes, and passing by the guards in front of the door. Nothing much other than the guy on the left is fighting the urge to drop his head on the ground.

Because I went to this particular direction often enough, getting to the shop won't take me as long. "Making progress at least," I whisper.

. . . Or at least that's what I thought. Of course, _of course_ the shop doesn't stay open at this hour.

Facepalming at my stupidity, since I'm already on this side of the map, I'll check on Blanc and Rom. I'm not concerned about Blanc as much as I am about Rom since they mentioned she's not feeling like her usual self. Can't comment on that myself since I've only met her recently. IF told me that Rom is naturally shy, staying quiet, not talking too much and doesn't stand out. It's hard to believe that because she asked me to go shopping with her. That alone already strange enough, but I don't have any reason to reject her.

It will take me forever to locate them if I pointlessly run around with no guide or direction. Thanks to the multiple buildings that are not too high, I can jump over them to get a better view.

"Heave ho." I kick the ground and land on the first building nearby. Good thing I had enough training to do this to wake no one up.

Then the next problem is the direction. They can be anywhere on the streets. Perhaps the most reasonable start is head to the direction of the exit. It's likely, but I still need to survey the surroundings to make sure.

As I jump from roof to roof, I alternate looking at the left and right. Going too fast will cause me to miss them if I'm not too careful.

"Found them," I say with my lip, without uttering a sound.

Just when I'm about to leap down, the night's breeze visiting again, a cold high-pitched voice similar to a little girl's stops me in my tracks.

"Are you going around in your usual or is it something different?" There's no annoyance or delight in those words, only indifference. I remain facing my back to her. There's no need for me to do so anyway.

"Anything you need? I don't suppose you talked to me without a real reason," I say, sharing the same indifference.

"Not like it matters to me anyway. I'm only here to tell you one thing."

"If it's about that _thing_ you asked me, I'm still on it."

"No, that's not what I'm referring to." It's not? Then what else would it be? She's not giving any hints about it whatsoever. But even still, it's nothing irrelevant.

Even with my back turned to her, I can hear her wings spreading out.

 _Not wasting time, huh? It's not in my best interest to play guesses with ridiculous hints. She should also realize this. I still want to pay a visit to Blanc and Rom._

"I'll only say it once, so listen carefully," she says. "You will _not_ interfere tonight. I'll only allow it if there's something off with the situation. But if there's none, then there's no need for you to take any actions."

Not interfere? Is she referring to our whole patrol? What plans does she have to have me uninvolved with this? If I have the chance to ask, then I will spill it out to her immediately. However, she already raises herself to the air, the noise of her wings makes it obvious for me enough, and takes off in the opposite direction where I'm facing.

So close, _so_ close and I would have reached Blanc and Rom. But this is as far as I can go apparently. They're just below me, looking around the area, their weapons already drawn out, and showing no gap in their awareness.

I turn around, taking one last good look on the two sisters, before jumping the buildings again to the direction of the Basilicom.

". . . Guess I'll make those puddings myself then."


	12. Lone Star, Twin Star

**Chapter 12**

 _Lone Star, Twin Star_

I look behind me from the metal bars I'm sitting and stare at an empty area of a roof a few meters away from Blanc and I.

"Was someone watching us . . .?" I say, failing to remember that I'm not alone.

"Who's watching us?" I turn my head back; Blanc is looking at me with her same expressionless demeanor. Shaking my head, I tell her it's nothing and only my imagination. It's hard to tell whether or not she's convinced with her face and the tone of her voice.

"All right," she says. "Just make sure you have your weapon on your hand at all times. We can't let our guard down even for a second. Histoire said that guy can knock people out in an instant."

It's still difficult to believe that sort of thing, but a lot of the reports of the victims tell the same thing. They saw no face, only darkness, and in the next moment, they wake up in bed. Bandaged around their whole body, their heads pounding, and some unable to recall what they were doing before that.

Good thing I'm wearing this winter coat; otherwise, I'd be shivering to my bones. The moon just past its peak even. It's nowhere near morning yet. Just my luck.

I also figured out how they grab their weapons out of nowhere. It only takes a bit of imagination and convincing yourself that it's right there, waiting until you take hold of the handle. Now that's out of the way, but I still haven't figured out how to use magic. There are magical energies swirling around my body. However, it's not the same feeling as mine. It might be possible for me to use the healing magic I'm used to doing, but it might raise suspicion if it's different, or "out of this world," Maki would've said.

"Do we even have any idea what this person looks like?" I say, swinging my legs back and forth.

"No, and that's what annoys me," she replies.

"Isn't it better if no one shows up at all?" Sure, it gets tiresome to sit around all night without sleep, but it gets obnoxious if something _did_ happen.

"That's true. But then we'd be wasting our time here. Seriously, why do we have to deal with these bastards?"

Interesting. She's actually capable of expressing her anger. Her voice was more bellow when she said that. I'm not that interested in getting her fuming, it's her relationship with me. I only know we're sisters, but I'm not sure what kind of stuff we do when nothing much is happening.

Now if I can choose my words properly, I'll be able to get some valuable information or get busted. I'm hoping for the former.

"Blanc?" I say.

"Huh? What is it?" she asks.

"What has Ram . . . been doing . . . these past few days?" It's still difficult to speak with this voice.

"Other than scribbling on my manuscript?" A sudden chill runs down on my spine. Part of me is telling me not to dig deeper into that.

"Er, y-yes," I fumble my words.

On a side note, how long can she hold that giant hammer? The handle almost looks like a twig and the head seems to weigh a couple of pounds (if it's even a few pounds at all). She has it resting on her shoulder, making sure she's able to take quick glances on different directions to remain aware. When we speak, she doesn't look at my direction unless she suspects something in my direction. Even now she's keeping her defenses up and doesn't look in my direction (since my back is on a closed convenience store anyway).

"She's still going around the Basilicom causing trouble to the people there," she says. Even with that indifferent tone on her voice, there's a lingering icicle on the last part she emphasized.

"Although," she continues, "she found something she enjoys doing. It makes me happy knowing you two do something for your own sakes."

Enjoying what we're doing? And especially for our sakes? If she truly is my sister, my family, my bloodline, then those words might have pierced through my heart. But it's not possible. It may be different if it's Ram (though I think she won't make much of it since she's still young).

 _I'm sorry, Blanc. But I'm not your sister._

It pains me to even think about taking her sister away from her. Maybe that's why I kept her in the dark about this? Out of my own pity, or maybe just being plain selfish?

"Sister . . .," I say under my breath.

How many moons passed already? Hearing Blanc talks about her sisters sentimentally like this reminds me too much of my actual sister. I want to feel the touch of her hands again, the fragrance of her hair, her radiating smile, when will I ever get that chance again?

 _She's not here. Not in front of me, not around me, nowhere at all._

"If, at some point one of us disappears," I say, holding back the tears in my eyes, "how will you feel?"

"Where did this come from?" she asks. Perhaps I'm being vulnerable to her too soon. They obviously have a very close relationship, don't they? Every sibling is like that, caring for each other, having each other's backs, and even sharing everything they have with one another.

"No reason. I just wanted to kno—" But then a sudden spike hits my head, slowly inching itself to the depths.

"Rom? Hey, what's wrong?" I fall forward, dropping to the ground from the metal bars, and dropping the small staff on my hand to my side. Both of my hands press against my head, pushing it harder and harder to wane out the pain, but it persists and doesn't stop.

"B-Blanc . . . it, it hurts . . ." Now my forehead touches the ground, harder than a shell, but it's cold. Cold enough where it feels like it's draining all the heat from my whole body.

"Hold on. I'll call Histoire," she takes out a small device from her pocket and dial in a number. She then places it near her ear and seems to get in touch with Histoire. "Hello? Histoire, this is urgent. Something's wrong with Rom but I don't know what's the cause . . . No, she's not . . . Right . . . Her head is in a lot of pain . . . All right, I'll take her there." She puts back the phone back where she took it and kneels in front of me.

"She told me to take you back to the Basilicom," Blanc says. "I'll take you back immediately so take my ha—! Watch out!" She grabs me and pulls me away from my position.

It's hard to make out what happened because most of my attention is on the pounding my head makes, but the metal bars I sat on is not there anymore.

"Hey! Who the freaking hell did that!? That almost hit us!" Blanc barks, standing up with her hammer gripped in her hands, scanning the area, jerking her head from one side to another with a growl coming from her voice.

"Oh, pipe down, will you? I've had it with noisy women," a man's voice says, coming out of the shadows and scratching his head.

"What are you supposed to be? A retarded old man?" I'd be laughing if it wasn't for this major headache.

"Who're ya callin' an old man!?"

"You are, bastard. Were you the one who did this?" Blanc points at the destroyed bars that are still smoking from the impact.

"And what if I did? Kids shouldn't be wanderin' around the night anyway—" His words cut off from Blanc's sudden hammer swing towards him. He deflects it with a spiked mace he's carrying on his back, the clash dangerously close that it's barely touching the fur around his collar.

"A kid, you say? Well, let's see how you'd like it when this 'kid' smashes every bone in your body!" She pushes harder causing the mystery man to take a step back to regain his footing.

"Dammit . . .! Get off me," he says. Blanc kicks him in the abdomen and gives both sides a distance.

The mystery man has short blue hair with some strands going outward, a part of his bangs is obscuring the top side of his right eye, which are both colored black. He wears a silver cape with fur running on the shoulder with a hoodie just at the back of his neck, a single earring on one of his ears, orange linen vest for his top and pants with a darker shade of blue that almost look black.

But there is something else that's odd about him. He has a crest on his left arm glowing from blue to purple and purple to blue. It's glowing so bright that it's difficult to make up what shape it is.

"What's your name, _little kid_?" he smirks.

Blanc doesn't blow off another fume. Instead, she answers him with a sweet voice that may confuse people if it's a compliment or not.

"Name's Blanc, _old fart_." And popping a vein on the man's forehead. She continues, "What's yours?"

"Heh, I'm Ragnor. The Doombringer of Hope!" He points at himself while giving another smirk as though he won the competition.

"And I'm the monster under the bed you always get wet. Also, give your mattress a favor and wear a diaper." His ears become red and the smirk drops from his face. I swear I saw smoke coming out of his ear holes.

"That's it, I've had enough of this crap!" he says, smashing the ground with his mace, causing a small tremor.

"I was just about to say that myself!" Blanc says, returning the same impact of the smash.

They seem to forget the fact that I'm still here, head about to burst, and almost at my limit. Is there no way to stop them at all?

 _Can't we just settle this with a friendly talk?_


	13. The Silver Visitor

**Chapter 13**

 _The Silver Visitor_

Pain.

The inner depths of my head feel like it's going to rip apart at any given moment. Countless beads of sweat forms on my forehead as I lean back on another part of the metal bars. My breath ragged and rough, eyesight blurring, it's taking every ounce of my strength to stay awake.

"B-Blanc . . ." The sound on my voice comes out hoarse, burning the insides my neck the more I try to get words out. By some kind of miracle, it is enough to catch her attention.

"Ah!" Blanc turns her head to my direction. "Crap . . .! Are you alright, Rom?"

"I-I'll be fine for now. You . . . you can deal with . . . that person first." Somehow, but not completely, the pain and throbbing become a little bit more bearable once she took notice of me. This won't be enough to knock me out just yet. Besides, that guy with the spiked mace doesn't look like he'll let us go for free.

"Are ya done now?" Ragnor says, a sinister grin running across his face. "I'd like to get the party started already."

Blanc turns back at him, grunting to him as she did.

"Sounds good to me," Blanc says. "I'll crush every bone in your pathetic body for attacking my sister, so you better prepare yourself!" She closes their gap and does a full swing downwards on him, causing another tremor once Ragnor blocks it with his own weapon.

"Not bad," he smirks, "but that won't be enough to take me down!" He pushes her back. "Try this one f'size!" This time, he swings at her, she blocks it, but he kicks her away when she did.

They continue clashing with each other, neither of them is showing any signs of weakness. Seconds turn to minutes; minutes almost turn to an hour. The whole road is slowly getting more and more craters.

"Are you in pain?" A voice asks behind me. My heart skips a beat. When I didn't answer for a few seconds, the voice asks again, "Tell me, are you in pain?"

I gulp. My ears become deaf to their clashing, and I answer with a quivering voice, "Y-yes—urk . . ."

"Alright. Take this then." This time, I turn around to face the person while shuffling to stand, nearly falling back to the ground. "Hold your hand out," I did and she drops a small bottle to my palm. The liquid inside is glowing bright blue.

"Thank you," I say.

"Your welcome," she smiles. The wind brushes her long silvery hair, both ends curling at the tips. She wears a cute one-piece turquoise silk gown with black silk gloves extending to the elbows. A black garter with indigo frills holds the gown around the waist. It's hard to tell whether she has a pantyhose or stockings since the skirt obscures halfway her thighs. "Well then, I'll be off now."

She starts walking away, but I yell to grab her attention. "Um, m-miss!"

"Hm?" she turns around, "any more problems?"

"Can you tell me your name?"

She faces her body to mine, the same way someone does when they tell someone to _get lost_. But she didn't say that. Instead, she flashes another smile. The way she does it can capture many hearts. Including mine. She says, "Sylvie. My name is Sylvie Silverstem."

Then she faces away and starts off again, her hair dances to the wind after she brushes it with one hand until she is nowhere in sights.

Not wasting any time, I pop the cork off of the bottle with blue liquid and chug it down with large gulps. Doing this, however, makes me cough halfway through. I did it slowly for the other half. The moment I finish drinking it, my head finally gets its relief and the nonstop pain never gets a chance to do its barrage again. But just when I'm about to raise my hands in accomplishment, something fast passes through my left cheek. It didn't hit, but the wind did. It was enough to petrify me.

It destroyed the pastry shop's glass. The same shop where Maki and I bought the strawberry shortcake. Once the smokes clear up, it was a spiked ball that smashed into it. However, it wasn't a stray ball. It was attached with a chain.

I trace the source of the chain to find it was actually that Ragnor person's weapon. Blanc is keeping him in place. He's unable to retrieve his weapon to its former state to do anything to her. It's a good thing, however . . .

Something is off.

Blanc should be able to push him back more, but she's the one at the receiving end of it. What's going on? She wasn't like this before. They were almost evenly matched, heck she had more of the advantage against him as well. So, to lose like this now . . . what could possibly be the cause?

The spiked ball moves again, retracting back to Ragnor. Once he gets it, he aims at Blanc's face. She blocks it, but it forces her to the ground. Then he treads towards her.

I get between them, staff in hand. He stops moving. But his grin grows bigger, the same kind as a lunatic would.

"What's going on?" Blanc asks between breaths. "Why am I this tired already?"

"Want to know why?" Ragnor replies with a mocking tone. "Very, very simple. So simple, I can't help but laugh at you weak girlies."

"Just tell us already," I say.

"Heh," he pulls out a pendant underneath his orange vest and holds it high, pointing towards us, " _Here_ is your answer." The gem on the pendant reflects the light, but also clear enough to see our own reflection inside it. For a second, I thought I was getting sucked in. I can't explain the color, because it's not one color, it keeps changing to different colors at random. There are no patterns, just random. Like it has a mind of its own.

"Well? What do you think? This right here absorbs all kind of magic. Down to the last drop . . ." He bellows the last part, letting out a creepy laugh as he did. It sends a shiver down my spine.

"But shares aren't the same as magic! So how co—"

"How could it absorb something born from the faiths of others?" He cuts Blanc off. "Didn't anyone taught you to let someone finish what they're saying?"

That's more or less going right back at him though.

"What do you plan to do with us using that?" I ask.

His smile drops into a frown. I must have said something I shouldn't have to him. But in the next moment, he didn't attack us. But instead, he grabs something from his pocket. It's some kind of phone. He presses it and holds it up to his ear. "Plan to do with you? What do you think I am? Some kind of crazy lunatic?"

"That is what I'm thinking." Aaand another vein on the forehead.

"Hmph, whatever. Hello?"

" _IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO PULL!?"_ It's another girl's voice. Her screaming is so loud that even I can hear it from here. But that voice. Who could it be?

"Shut up. I'm here like you told me. I don't see any of them though."

" _This is why you're such an idiot."_

"Tch, just tell me already!"

" _You're hopeless. Give it to the one with the hammer."_

"What? Her? You kidding me? You sure that's one of 'em? She's just some small kid."

" _Are you trying to pick a fight?"_

He stiffens. And then starts towards us. I raise my staff to stop anything he tries to pull. But the only thing he pulls is the pendant around his neck. He holds it out in front of me. "Take it. You're with her, right?"

This catches me off guard. I look at his face again, he keeps the same straight face, it's hard to tell if he's toying with me.

"Oy, are you deaf? I said _take it_." He shoves the pendant to me, it takes me back, but the pendant lands right on my hands. It shimmers softly as I hold it up. It's pretty. It's pretty, but I can't shake the feeling that I've seen it somewhere before.

"Isn't this . . ."

"My job here's done. Make sure you brats give it back to its owner."

Before I can say anything else to him, he disappears into the shadows. The wind comes back, blowing off some of the dusts and rubbles from their engagement.

Ragnor.

Something tells me this isn't the last time we'll see him again. Did he really just go here to give this to us? And he told us to give it to its owner. Who could that be? In the middle of my pondering, I almost forgot about one thing — Blanc!

I ran to her and help her get up. "Are you alright?" I ask. She takes my hand and pulls up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stretches her back and takes the pendant from me. "That bastard. He even dumped this thing on us. How are we supposed to find its owner? Also, why are we the ones doing it for him even? We should just throw this to the garbage."

She was about to give it a swing when I stop her. "Hold on, you know what this thing does, right?"

"Right . . ." she stares at the gem of the pendant. "We can't give this up that easily. Who knows what'll happen if someone like him gets their hands on this?"

"We should get Histoire and the others to take a look at it as well." She nods, hiding the pendant inside her pocket.

"In any case, let's call it a night. I'm more worried about you than this thing."

Ah, that reminds me. She didn't notice that Sylvie woman from earlier. Whoever she is, the vial she gave me worked wonders. Don't get me wrong, I want to tell her, but having a reason to go back is better in my opinion. I've had enough of this for one night.

We start to the direction where we came from. Blanc calls Histoire on her phone, telling her we're coming back a bit earlier than intended.

"Hey, can I have a hear too?" I ask.

"Hm? Alright." She presses something on her phone and a voice comes out of it loud.

" _Hey, Histoire? Are there any eggs in the fridge?"_ Maki says from the other end of the line.

" _There's plenty inside. Why do you ask?"_ Histoire asks.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing back there!?" Blanc growls. That gets me wondering as well. Why is he back at the Basilicom in the first place? The whole patrol thing isn't over yet.

" _Hm? Who's asking?"_ Maki says. _"Neptune kept pestering me to get her pudding. I did plan to buy some but . . ."_

"And you thought it would be open this late?" Blanc laughs. "Are you retarded? I thought you were dumb. But you're worse than an idiot."

" _Eh? You didn't have to put it bluntly like that, you know? That's not true, right IF? IF? Er, um, Compa? What about you? You don't think I'm like that, do you?"_

" _W-well . . ."_

" _Hey, hey, why aren't you looking at me?"_

Pfft . . . What is this? This is no different from back then. Seriously, that guy. Even Blanc can't contain her laughter. And then, while the others on the phone are also laughing, something whistles in the background.

"What's that sound?" Blanc asks.

" _Ah— The broth! It'll burn if I don't—gahh! Hot, hot, hot!"_

 _Clang!_

Most likely the pot's cover fell to the floor. Leaning over, I say to him, "Can I have some of that once we get back?"

There was a pause before an answer comes from him.

" _Sure thing."_

Then Blanc breaks the call.

* * *

 **A/N: I'd like to apologize if I seem to make quite a bit of adjustments at times. There is a non-stop clash between ideas inside my head. So, in turn, I rewritten this entire chapter. I'm not perfect, but I'm trying my best to get the story out and improve.**

 **Hope to see you all again in the next chapter.**


	14. Possessor of the Pendant

**Chapter 14**

 _Possessor of the Pendant_

The sun isn't out. Clouds cover the skies, slowly moving and fading out of view. It makes the sky look like people clumping on each other while giving their hardest to get to where they need to go. Must be tough. Especially when they're bunched up like that.

It's a good thing the Basilicom is large enough to make it less suffocating whenever there is company.

I'm leaning on the rails at the balcony while the others are busy doing their own things at the living room, except for Compa, who is at the kitchen, and Ram, who is sleeping at Nepgear's room. Blanc and Rom are with Histoire at the largest couch, said they wanted to show her something. Then more people join in the discussion, after overhearing something from them, and sits at different seats. I didn't understand why or what they're going on about, but I didn't have enough care right now to check it out. I want to enjoy the nice breeze and view of the balcony for a while longer, have a look at the different places in the city, and drink my perfectly brewed jasmine tea poured nicely into a cup.

Right as I place the cup to my lip, Nepgear yells, "It absorbs shares!?" that almost made me lose my grip with the cup, although some of its contents got away.

"Can you explain?" Histoire asks.

"I don't know much," Blanc says. "I don't even know how it works. But one thing is for sure, this thing is dangerous to CPUs."

Absorbs shares, did I hear that correctly? Is that really something worth worrying about? Not like I can tell for certain. I don't have enough knowledge as to what shares are in the first place. Well, they did tell me what shares are, along with the whole history of Gamindustri, how it came to be, and also what CPUs are and what their duties are, but not that in-depth. Although, it seems to be a pretty big deal, especially to them. Can't say I know how it's like.

"So, who was the guy who gave you this?" Neptune asks. A good question. They did mention that the person who attacked them just gave it to them. If it's able to do that much harm to them, so why give it away? It just doesn't make any logical sense.

"His name was Ragnor," Rom says. This time, I choke on my drink while sipping.

Ragnor!? Wait, did I also hear that right? She said Ragnor. I'm sure I didn't mishear that. What is _he_ doing here? That doesn't make any sense at all! He's supposed to be in Lluna. Did he end up here the same way as I did? No, that possibility is too shallow, and straight-up impossible. The temple was well-hidden and wasn't on any map at all.

Unable to hold back my curiosity, I walk towards them, placing my cup on a nearby table, and stand just behind the couch where Rom is. I ask about what they meant. Their answer isn't any different from earlier. I rub my temples. It just doesn't make sense.

"What's wrong, Maki?" Nepgear asks.

"No . . . it's nothing," I say. I shouldn't jump to conclusions yet. It might just be a coincidence. Hopefully.

"There's also another thing," Blanc adds, "He told us to find the owner and return it. Can't say I like being bossed around, especially by the likes of him. But I am curious who owns this."

"Owns what?" Compa says, carrying a plate of triangle-sliced sandwiches to the group and setting it on the center table. Everyone grabs a piece for their own, taking bites while they didn't had anything to say.

"It's this pendant." Rom holds the pendant out for everyone to see.

"Ooh, that looks just like the one I'm wearing." Compa takes off her pendant. She didn't actually show it to me fully that one time. I only noticed the little chains connected wrapped around her neck, but not to the extent of seeing what the chain was holding on to.

Although there's one thing: the two pendants are identical to each other, _too_ identical, as if they've been forged and cloned. Something doesn't feel right however. When I take a closer look at the two, unconsciously, my hands snatch the two pendants from them. IF didn't take my action lightly however.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" IF says.

"These pendants . . . where did you find them?" I ask Blanc, ignoring IF's click.

"Like I said, that Ragnor guy gave it to us."

I look at Compa.

"Iffy knows more about it than I do. She was the one who found it."

I turn to IF. She furrows her brows.

"It's the same case as the other one. But it was a small girl who gave it to me. She told me it wasn't hers but doesn't know what to do with it, so I took it from her and had Compa hold on to it."

"Ooh, so you took it from her?" Neptune says. "That sounds like what a villain would do."

"Can it, Nep."

IF's explanation isn't too surprising, also it's a good thing she got it as well, otherwise things would've gotten more complicated for us. But there's still Ragnor. Why did _he_ have it of all people? He's not even an accessory fanatic. Just thinking about it makes my head spin.

"Why are _you_ asking anyway?" IF demands. "You don't happen to know who owns the pendant, do you?"

"It's the complete opposite," I say.

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, I tell Blanc to get up and hold her hand out. Of course, she is reluctant at first, but she stands up and did as I instructed.

"This thing absorbed your shares, right?" I ask.

She nods, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Just keep your hands out like that." With my right hand, I grip on the gem hanging on the pendant. While on the other, I take Blanc's extended hand. It's warm, and surprisingly smooth. This causes her hands to tense up however.

"H-hey, don't go touching me without permission," she rebukes.

"Sorry, but it's necessary."

"Necessary for what?" Nepgear asks.

"Wait and you'll see. Actions speak louder than words anyway."

They didn't ask anything else after that. They remain silent for a moment and gives me their full attention. Blanc's hands stiffen, probably confused as to what I'm doing. Not wasting any more time, I chant that made the gem gripped on my hand glows brightly.

"Wh-what's this feeling? It's warm . . .," Blanc says.

It's not as surprising for me as it is for her. But with this, she should be right about back to tip-top shape. Of course, it won't be immediate. Given enough time, she'll recover whatever she lost. In her case, it's her shares.

"That should do it," I say, releasing her hand. But then, there's still this next problem I'm going to need to deal with. Now that I did this, they'll wonder how I did what I did in the first place.

"What did you do?" Nepgear asks. And right on cue, the question begins.

"I just returned her lost shares. It won't come back to her fully for a while, but it'll get there. So, there's no need to worry about that."

They stare at each other, some wrinkles their forehead, others tilts their heads, then after a little while of doing that, they return their attention to me. By now, they should have an idea about the pendant. Silence stays for a while. Rom, however, is the first one to break it. She stands, locking her eyes on me, unblinking, as though she's trying to pierce through me to see what's inside.

"Are you . . .," she asks.

I nod at her as she trails off. IF is about to say something but Blanc beats her first. She also rises from her seat, only being faster than Rom, and throws a jab at my direction. I dodge it. They don't seem surprised about her behavior however. I'm starting to wonder if violence is the only thing she knows to release her pent-up anger.

"So, you're telling me . . ." Blanc grips her fists to the point of shaking, "that the reason he stole my shares, was because of _your_ stupid pendant!?" Her face boiling, as red as fresh blood dripping from someone's wound, and hurls another swing that also misses.

"B-Blanc, please calm down," Histoire says, "I know how you feel, but please refrain from using violence. This is neither the time nor place to fight."

Blanc didn't say anything else. Instead, she drops back down on the couch, crossing her arms and legs, and mumble to no one but herself. She keeps her head away from me. Histoire sighs, then floats her way towards me.

"Maki, can you please explain?" she asks.

Of course, I did anticipate for this kind of thing to happen eventually. Although, Blanc's formless punches did throw me off if only for that instance. I didn't think she would be this upset about it. There's no other option around this situation. I'm not one wanting to make enemies on purpose, but I'm not one to apologize for something I didn't do at all. Also, I helped her return her shares back. What else should I think when the favor in turn is with a blow?

I glance everyone in the room. They're giving me the center of attention. I grip the small chains of the pendant and say, "This pendant was originally intended against magic users." It's not a lie, but it's not entirely true either.

"That's one thing," Histoire says, "But it was able to absorb shares as well. It's not the same as magic. So, how did it absorb it?"

"It must've confused it with magic." A possibility, although that might not be it either. I decide to tell them about how it works, what it does, also adjusting the details a bit while making sure it sounds as believable as possible.

The real reason why it absorbed whatever it absorbed from them, is because this pendant doesn't just absorb magic. That's just a cover-up to prevent anyone from wanting it. But the only thing I didn't lie about is the fact that my mother was the one who gave this to me. If only she was here, then I would know why it absorbed her shares. But at that time, she didn't have enough room to give a proper lecture about it.

". . . and it's also my only memory of my mother," I finish my explanation.

Then, once again, silence. Hopefully my explanation was enough to satisfy their curious mind. The atmosphere is killing me.

"Although," IF says, "There's one thing I'm confused about. You said it was from your mother, didn't you? You never mentioned she gave you two of them." She straightens her back, adjusts her sitting, and lean forward.

"About that," I add, "This second one is a replica. It's about half as powerful as the original, but it still gets the job done."

Rom gets up again the moment I say it, this time, she takes the second pendant from me (there's a subtle difference with the two pendants, that's how I can tell which is which) and holds it up in front of her. She then says, while not bothering to look at anything else but the item she's holding, "The lace on this one is shorter than the other." And she figured out the difference. Good for her.

"That's because I planned to give it to someone as a gift."

"Hoh? Who could it be?" Neptune asks, popping behind Rom out of nowhere.

Rom shuffles back, losing her footing, but I catch her in my arms before she did. She's much lighter than I anticipated. Perhaps it's because I'm not used to a child's weight anymore.

" _Planned_ , Neptune, I meant to gift it for the princess, but—"

Nepgear chokes on her own cup of tea, Rom twists her head to face mine almost immediately the same way how someone gets slapped across the face. The others, however, only wrinkle their foreheads, tilting their heads (in Compa's case really), and stare at me as though I have a single lingering, out-of-place pimple on my face (which I don't have, thank you very much). I get that it might be because of what I said, but they keep looking at me nonstop. It's starting to become uncomfortable for me.

"Princess? Who would that be?" Compa asks, at the same time question marks are popping out of her head.

"Which princess in particular?" Rom adds another question, leaning forward, closer to my face. I lightly push her away, which she did with no complaints.

"You might not know since I'm from somewhere else entirely," I say. "She's a princess from Lluna, where I'm from in case you forgot, and I planned to give this second pendant to her."

"Is she blond?" Neptune asks, this time being the one who's shoving her face closer and closer to mine with every question. "What about a pink dress? Does her name start with P? D'you wear overalls as well? But I don't see any signs of mustache near your lip . . . Do you shave?"

Her questions are the exact definition of bombs. Then again, she's not the only one bombarding.

"Pretty much, no." I raise my hands to prevent her from moving any closer. "Although her sister's name starts with P, not exactly in a pink dress, but somewhat close. But everything else, not really."

"That so?"

"Yes, it is."

By this time, the sandwiches are already out, and it makes me wonder whether I should have bought some crackers or crumpets beforehand. This is starting to make me think of this room as a gathering of grown people. I have no issues with tea, but all of them sip it _very_ suggestively. I don't know what other people thinks about this, and I did have some people say that it doesn't really bother them, either much or literally at all, but I'm not the same as them. That's _not_ how you sip tea.

Then, I feel a tug on my coat in the middle of my monologue. I look down, Rom is still right in front of me. I almost forgot about her being there since this is the first in a long time for someone so short to stand at my front. Another thing I'm not used to anymore.

She asks, "Were you able to give it to her?"

I smile at her, placing a hand underneath her cap and rubbing her sweaty scalp. It didn't bother me, but I did expect her to slap my hand, although it never came.

"No, I never did."

Quickly after I said that, she asks, "Can . . . can I have it instead?"

I stop rubbing her head. She didn't change her expression or do any weird body gesture. She just stays there, waiting for my response. I want to say "It's no big deal" but can I really say that? It shouldn't be anything else other than some other accessory. Yet, for some reason, it's hard to get the words out. I move my lips; nothing comes out. The others are already staring back at me again. But it's not giving enough pressure to force me to oblige.

If she wants it, I should just give it to her. That's how it always been. They ask something from me, I just give it to them. Is it because, somewhere deep down, I still want the princess to have this? But that's not possible though.

The princess is no longer here.

That, I knew well, but after a little bit more time, I sigh and say, while still keeping my 'smile' on, "All right. You can have it. Make sure you take care of it. I'll be contented if you did."

"I will," she says with both the sides of her lips reaching her ears. And she wears the pendant immediately after. It actually kind of helps easing me a bit doing this kind of thing. But at the same time, it doesn't. It feels so close yet also so distant. A heavy load did get off my chest. Except the thing is . . .

It didn't get off of me at all.

"Something doesn't feel right, though," IF says, placing a finger on her chin. "Why did that guy bothered to even find the owner anyway? Do you know him by any chance?"

"No," I answer her.

"That's kinda hard to believe, though."

"Believe me or not, it doesn't change my answer. Besides, maybe that guy isn't what he seems to be—"

A sudden _bang_ struck from the table, a part of it coming off, knocking some papers, a flower vase that spilled water, and some of the other tea cups over. They were already empty though, so it didn't become too much of a mess. But then suddenly, Blanc grabs the collar of my coat, almost cutting off my air, and forces me to lean over, her face close to mine. Her teeth make a subtle scraping noise.

"That bastard nearly hit _my sister_!" she spits. "She could've gotten really _hurt_! How am I supposed to believe 'that guy isn't what we think he is' like you say, dumbass!?"

"S-sis, please stop." Rom tries to separate Blanc and I, to which she eventually succeeds. She helps her sit back at the couch.

No one dares to speak again for a while. This is becoming a thing for a while now, not the most comfortable situation I find myself in. IF is the one who breaks the silence this time. She clears her throat, and announces to everyone:

"OK, this is getting us nowhere. Continuing on like this will only make it worse. So, I've got a proposition. Why don't we relax for now?"

"Ah, that sounds like a wonderful idea, Iffy," Compa says.

"Heeh . . . Since when did our serious Iffy became so laid back?" Neptune smirks. Then she gasps. "Are you becoming a NEET?"

"Not even close," IF answers. "Also, how does that make me a NEET?"

"So, you're not . . .?"

"No!"

"So," Rom cuts in, "what are we going to do?"

"Good question," IF says. "How about a picnic at that one spot? We haven't been there for a long while now."

"Oh yeah! That one," Compa says. "I can't remember the last time we went there."

"A picnic?" Compa says. "How about some rice balls in the menu? I'll make them. They're great to eat with a group anyway."

"Yeah, yeah, make lots of those donuts!" Neptune exclaims.

"They're not donuts, Nep," IF points out. "Oh whatever. Can you carry the supplies for us, Maki?"

Not going to lie, a picnic does sounds nice for a change. These past few days are becoming too much for my mind to handle. So, it's not a problem for me. But I can't seem to shake the feeling that I'll be another pack mule again. Someone I knew kept on telling me to take it "like a man" even to this very day whenever this happens. Although, I don't see any reason to dump them all on one person. I mean, come on, bring your own stuff people.

Histoire coughs and says, "Well, since you've all worked hard, I do not see any reason why you shouldn't go. Nepgear, why don't you go ahead and contact the other CPUs and invite them?"

"All right." She takes a seat in front of a monitor and operates it.

The other CPUs, huh? Looks like I won't meet them separately now. Besides, I'm also curious how they get along with each other. So far, I haven't seen anything very strange. Only their personality differences. How different will they be from Blanc and Neptune?

Rom stands in front of Blanc, who has her head downcast, and says, "Sis, let's go to the picnic together with Ram. Please?"

Blanc grunts, but once she takes a good look at Rom's puppy eyes, she shies away, sighs and says, "All right. We'll go." She pats Rom's head, sliding her hand underneath her hat, and messes up her hair.

Compa is already preparing the food, IF calling someone on her phone, Histoire goes off to her room to contact the CPUs, and I help packing the sheets, prepare the baskets, and some other stuff along with Nepgear and Rom. Right after I fold the sheets and place them on a bag, one of my pockets vibrate. It's the compartment where my phone was.

I excuse myself and head outside, closing the door, at the same time, making sure that no one else is going to overhear. Once I press the answer button, I walk further away from the door for extra precaution. When I greet, the person behind the other side of the call didn't bother with the small talks and goes straight to the point:

" _It's almost time for you to pick it up. I'll send you the details, just don't screw this up. Well, not like you're going to let that happen anyway. Just making sure."_

"But what if things go differently, then . . ."

" _Don't make me repeat myself._ Get _that package no matter_ what. _"_

Then the call cuts off immediately afterwards. I let out an exasperated sigh and head back inside the living room.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sure most of you would notice that there are two perspectives in this story. I didn't intend to originally, but then I realized it was necessary to get the story rolling. But what am I referring to? Can't say it just yet.**

 **Though it is challenging, but I do do my best to make sure you guys can tell who's perspective is who without giving an actual label somewhere in the beginning.**

 **I'm hoping I'll get some nice quality time to write the rest of the story. Now, don't get me wrong, I already made drafts for the future chapters already, but they're on editing phase and I don't want to make a mess. Although, it does become somewhat of a pain when I decide to change an entire chapter completely.**

 **But what can you say? No pain, no game. That's how I roll.**

 **Well, I think I've rambled for too long already. So until next time.**

 **See you all in the next chapter.**


	15. Business and Companion

**Chapter 15**

 _Business and Companion_

"Well, here we are."

"So, it seems. Well, I wouldn't want to ruin your fun, and as I've said before, but I have businesses elsewhere."

"Business? I thought you were going for a vacation week?"

"I mean no disrespect, Lady Black Heart, but sometimes it's best not to trouble yourself with other's personal affairs."

"Affairs? What, are you going on a date?"

"Perhaps I am, perhaps I'm not. It doesn't really matter, does it? I suggest you worry about your wonderful picnic with your friends instead of mine. They're most likely waiting for you for a while now. Although, not like I can say for sure. It's good to be in the safe side."

"Yeah, yeah, all right already. Just go do your 'business' or whatever. Not like I care. We're heading off. Let's go, Uni."

"Right!"

"Good, they're gone. Now then . . . on for a little stroll."

~0~0~0~

I'm not a man that falls prey to a simple concept of "paradise." Not easily anyway. But sometimes it can't be helped. There are things in which only you can define what sort of "paradise" should be, or at all. A paradise for you doesn't mean it is for other people. That just doesn't work here. And that's why there's that ecstasy one person can have but others don't.

For me, though? I'm not sure. Such a thing is already hard enough to answer anyway. And also, impossible. But it is there one way or another. There's no way to get around it, though, as all the terrible things are what people dreads the most.

I can't recall the last time I felt ecstasy in my whole life. Alice tells me it's some kind of longing; others say I'm just one tough nut to crack. But really, nothing seems to tick that button in me.

Except for today.

Almost every shop, even restaurants, in Leanbox have varieties of tea! IF did warn me beforehand to bring some money just in case something catches my eye. And honestly, I didn't believe her at first. But I brought extra Credits anyway. Good thing I did. Otherwise, I'd be sitting around the corner filling the whole area with a dark aura.

"I can't believe there are separate shops that are specific for each type. There're ones for white, green, oolong, black, and even Pu-erh tea!"

Most of them are in a square box container. But there are also some in small bags and jars just like the ones back in Lluna. Truly a wonderful place this is. There are also some new kind of teas I haven't heard of yet. I would label this place as 'perfect' however . . .

"S-so expensive . . ." I lean on one of the windows of a green tea shop.

No doubt, if I didn't control myself, my wallet would have gotten a beating. Just thinking about it while holding my wallet makes my hands shiver hard.

There's nothing I can do, that's just how it is, I guess. And I loathe it for being that way.

Slumping, I trudge my way through the rows of buildings, with some occasional alley ways, while passing through street lamps along the paved sidewalk. The roaring engines fade in and out in random intervals as well as some burning smokes emitting from some kind of tube. When I turn to a corner, after the third building is a park of some sorts. A large, chartreuse steel fence blocks most of the entrance except for a gap in the middle. Children along with their parents or pets or both, they fill the wooden benches, playgrounds, and a four-layer fountain. It's quite a rare sight for a park to be _this_ full. But maybe that's just in Lluna.

How nice of them to spend time with people they know. I'm pretty much a stranger here, like a wrong thorn on the stem of a rose. Okay, I'm not the best at making comparisons, but you get the idea! The other buildings on the streets are mostly restaurants, cafés, and pubs. They're the typical bricked buildings with some tweaks to their exterior designs to show that they're unique.

But the one thing I am keen on is a vegetarian restaurant right on the other side of the park's entrance.

I enter the small but wide building, pushing the handle on one of the large glass doors. A bell on top makes a _ding-ding_ twice after pushing and letting go. On a far corner, lies a classic wooden jukebox with gold linings that's playing the same song I heard somewhere from a different shop. The song title I think is called _Light Album,_ although I can't remember the singer, though. To my left, a row of planted stools in front of the desk of a bartender. The shelves contain various liquors. I'm no liquor expert, so I don't know what types there are. Just know that there are different kinds, with different colors, and different shaped bottles.

There are not many customers here, so finding a seat isn't an issue. It's still quite early in the morning, around eight-oh-clock. Man, oh man, that rolls off the tongue quite nicely.

Somewhere in the middle, I sit on the soft couch-like lime seat facing the other one, with a large, square table with napkin holder filled with napkins on the center. A waitress hands me a menu. Since this is a vegetarian restaurant, I find a dish that most restaurants like this has—a salad. Not because I'm a vegan or anything, but I'm craving for something light and easy on the stomach. I order one, along with a glass of iced tea, and return the menu. I would've bought something more grand than iced tea, but something cold would be nicer at this hour.

While waiting for my salad, I return my gaze to the park. After a saxophone interlude, my gaze shifts to a man with brown hair as he enters. As he adjusts his thin-rim eyeglasses using his finger on the bridge, he looks to the right and then to the left. When he did, his brown eyes stop dead-lock to mine.

He smiles and approaches me, sitting on the opposite side of my seat, fixing his purple suit on top of a white undershirt and green necktie. Then, asks the waitress for a platter of roasted vegetables and a glass of water. After which he returns his attention to mine, leaning forward, placing both of his elbows on the table with his fingers intertwined.

He says, "Pardon the intrusion, but I assume you're the one _she_ told me about?"

"That's right." I cross my legs. Looks like I found the guy already. Although, I thought she would hire someone _wilder_ , I guess? Either way, it doesn't change the fact that he's here for the 'package' that _she_ asked for.

"Oh, before we get into business, let me introduce myself." He extends a hand forward. "My name is Ganache. I work at the Basilicom in Lastation."

I take his hands and shake. "The name's Maki. I assume you already know what I am?" He nods.

The waitress comes back with both of our orders on a single tray, placing them down along with silverware wrapped in napkins. She bows and leaves. I take the fork and start adding the mayonnaise. Ganache takes a bite on a piece of a carrot. We continue our conversation while eating.

Without any more delays, I ask, "Got the thing she asked?"

"You mean this small, brown paper bag?" He holds it out after grabbing it from his suit. "What do you possibly plan on using this for?"

"That's none of your concerns. All you need to know is your job here is done. But there is one thing I'd like to ask before going any further: Did you check what's inside?"

"No, I haven't. The agreement was for me to pick it up and send it to the stand in. It doesn't matter, really. I have no interest anyway. I've already received my pay. Although, I _am_ supposed to be on vacation leave for a while. I plan on spending it away from anything business related."

"Any place in mind?"

"Who knows? I don't have anything to be frank. Somewhere refreshing is all I need." We both laugh. He's surprisingly straightforward than any other people I dealt with in the past. It's good for me, I was getting tired of playing games with greedy, swearing leprechauns who values money more than information.

He places the paper bag on the table and slides it to my direction. I catch it and place it in a special compartment in my white coat.

Ganache gulps down the last drop of his glass after biting the one last piece of broccoli on his plate and stands up immediately after he did. He raises his hand up, calling for the waitress, giving a hand signal for the receipt. Just when he did, I finish my iced tea and gesture for the receipt as well. The waitress gives it to us, we give the exact amount, and then she returns to the cashier.

"Almost forgot to mention, "he suddenly says, "don't mention this to a certain CPU close by, just a heads-up."

"What do you mean?"

He chuckles. "Well then, I'll be heading out now." Just when he got his back turned to me, he stops in his tracks. "You remind me of how I was back then." He didn't wait for my response and pass through the door.

Strange. That's the only thing I can describe him right now. Well, except for a couple more things, but I won't go on about that. I'm already getting late as it is already. Even so, I should tell her not to contact him again. He might be on to something. Ganache, huh? I'll remember that name.

I hold the part where I placed the paper bag and go outside the restaurant, heading to the opposite direction where he went; the same path I took earlier before coming here. However, when I was nearing an alley way, I hear a voice. _"He's up to something, I know it."_ The voice sounds like how someone spilled coffee on their hard work. The moment I peak the corner, my eye meets a pair of crimson eyes.

A girl, no less. As she jumps back, her long hair as well as some other parts of her hair that are tied up into pigtails with a pair of striped black ribbons, sways and covers her face before she brushes it off. She wears a pleated black dress, along with the bottom edge of her dress having a grayish color, with detached sleeves that also has a circle thing on the middle of her chest area. Half of her legs are covered with her knee-high socks that has the same color scheme as her dress.

Just when I'm about to say something, she points at me with her index, her brows raising. "Wh-wh-what d-do you think you're doing?" she stutters.

"Whoa, calm down there," I say. "I just heard something around the corner and checked it out. And also, I could ask the same for you. What are _you_ doing, especially in a place like this? Even I know girls shouldn't be hanging around in a place like this."

"Hmph!" she faces away from me, pouting. "That's none of your business."

"Eh . . .?" Is she being serious with me right now? None of my business—I mean, what else am I supposed to think of when a girl, let alone a surprisingly cute one, such as her is in an alley way? I rub my temples.

"Alright, then what were you referring to when you said you knew 'he was up to something', who's that 'him' you're referring to?" But she still doesn't look and answers me with the same answer.

"That's still none of your business."

A vein pops on my head. This is getting ridiculous. I grab her arm and pull her away from the alley. When I did this, she starts hitting me and keeps on yelling to let go. However, I didn't listen and continue to drag her. She struggles which makes it harder to pull her, but still render her unable to escape.

Finally, she says, "Where are you taking me, you pervert?"

I stop, turn around to face her, and slam both my hands on the wall to both her sides to make sure she doesn't escape. Her face becomes red, but I'm not sure if it's because of the sun's heat. We're so close to each other that her ragged breath is hitting my neck. Her lower lip is also quivering.

"E-eh?!"

"What else? I'm taking you to into custody until you answer my question."

"A-and y-you think you'll get away with it?" Such a stubborn girl.

I close in my mouth near her ear to make sure she can hear as I whisper, "I can, and I am. Look, all I'm asking is your reason for hanging around that alley way. Nothing else. Now, can you please tell me why?"

"A-ah . . . Ugh, f-f-fine!" she jerks her head away. "I-I was following someone, okay? Happy now?"

"Geez, which one of us is the pervert now?" I say with a straight tone, then chuckle. She pouts again, her face becoming redder and redder by the second. She then barrages me with fists mostly on my chest, shoulders, and arms.

"You're the worst! Pervert! Lecher! You satisfied now?"

"That, I am. The other ones, not so much." She makes grumbling noises. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be. And I thought mornings are pleasant." I turn around and start back to the direction where I initially planned to go. Neptune and companions should almost arrive at the cave, if not already. However, while walking, the girl from earlier trails me from behind. "What, you following _me_ now?"

"Oh, shut up," she says. "This just happened to be where I'm going as well. How about you? Where are you going?"

"On my way to a picnic."

"Oh really? And let me guess, you're heading to the same picnic spot where Nepgear and Neptune are headed now, are you?" I grunt. Now I'm starting to wonder whether she's doing this on purpose or not.

"That, I am."

"Ah, oh right you're n—wait, wait, hold on a sec, what? What did you say?" She pulls on the back side of my coat. It gives me an uncomfortable stop from walking. I resist the urge to grunt again.

"I _am_ headed to the picnic where Nepgear and Neptune are. Now, can you let go? I told them not to wait for me." She did and says that she's heading there as well. Now that's something. "What, are you saying you're a CPU too?"

"CPU _Candidate_ to be exact. I'm Uni. B-but don't think you can just say it like it's nothing."

"Well then, _Uni_." She puffs her cheeks. "I'm Maki. Let's continue talking while walking. We'll run really late at this rate."

"Heh, maybe you will. But I can just fly there." She smirks.

"Oh, that so? Alrighty then, See you later." I start walking away from her again, waving a nonchalant hand at her while I did. For a moment, I thought that would be the end of it—nope, the sound of feet smacking the ground trails behind me.

"Hey, wait! I'm not done with you yet."

I place both my hands behind my head, still walking, and look to the side.

"And here I thought you were going to fly there."

"W-well, I-I just thought you'd be lonely if I leave you. So, I'll go with you. D-don't get the wrong idea, though! I'm not doing this for you, okay?"

"Whatever you say."

Despite her running mouth, she's pretty considerate to keep me company. Although, I'm not sure if she's the one who's actually lonely. Not to mention quite she can be cute if she cuts down her front. We stay like this throughout the whole journey out of the city, of course we didn't go around without having a chat, until we reach the outside area where the plains become as wide as the ocean. Well, that, until we reach the forest where we're supposed to go anyway. She likes to talk a lot about her "guns" and stuff. First time I've heard of them, but she seemed happy to talk about it so I only listened while she went on and ramble.

When we did reach the forest where the cave that leads to the picnic spot was, I ask Uni, "Know how to fight?" while checking out a nearby tree.

"Well, duh," she says. "Why'd you ask?"

"That's because monsters could be lurking aro—look out!" I shove Uni aside, knocking her to the ground but at the same time a scratch appears on my arm after the sleeve got ripped. I didn't see what hit me because something got to it and dissipates before getting a good look at it. When I trace the source, Uni has her gun out.

"You alright?" I nod. "Let's get a move on then, shall we?" She smirks.

"Couldn't've said it better myself."

So, here I am, wandering around the forest with a CPU Candidate. Though, this takes me way back. In a forest with another person, let alone a girl. What a strange day this has been.

* * *

 **A/N: I do want to mention something, before anyone gets confused. The first chapter is bound to change again one way or another, but not in a long while this time. Maybe once the important stuff got taken care of. I'm more focused on the actual story itself to get things rolling and not get dragged like last time. And for that, I'd apologize. This is my first time writing so I'm more or less trying to handle things with care.**

 **Also, one thing to mention, that won't be the last time Ganache makes an appearance. (_0)**

 **Well, that's about everything I can think of to say. So, see you in the next chapter!**


	16. Uni's Encounter

**Chapter 16**

 _Uni's Encounter_

Females are hard to understand sometimes—no, make that _all_ the time. I don't know why, but they just are. Like that one time when I visited Alice, the shopkeeper, during a dark, raining morning, long story short, she basically ranted how bad her hair was that day. Like come on woman, I was dripping wet from the rain, literally shivering down to the bone, and all she did was giving me the end of the stick for not answering her. It's a pain, but I don't think of her as a jerk or anything. She's usually more easy-going in other days. When I did ask her about it, though, she mentioned that it was something called "being under the weather" or something like that.

There was also a time when she was angry at me for no exact reason. When I came to the shop on another date, she kept on raising her voice and acting all cold. And when I got her to spill the reason why she was doing that, she told me, "You didn't come here at Valentine's day!"

Needless to say, she didn't supply me with any tea for a whole cycle of moons. Why am I telling you all of this?

"Would you hurry up? What are you even doing anyway?" Uni says, crossing her arms.

She keeps getting angry at me from time to time. Last time is when a crazy boar monster charged at me and made me crash onto her. This time however, I'm inspecting trees (not all of them) whenever we get some distance from the one from earlier. I still haven't given up on finding a specific forest. That kind of opportunity is rare especially when I have no reason to go to a different one each time. But I do have a reason this time.

"Not this one either . . ." I sigh. That's the last tree I'm going to inspect. And none of them fit the criteria.

"Are you done now?" Uni asks.

"Pretty much."

We're at the middle part of the forest (at least I hope so) and the path is becoming clearer. The trees are still dense, the grasses aren't that tall, and a small but wide fence with an opening near the left side with a bridge underneath a wooden doorway and above a small river. Once we pass through it, though, some burnt marks and uneven dirt are scattering around. It must be Neptune and her group who fought here. There's been no sign of anyone else here, so it has to be them. It seems very recent even. They should still be close by.

Although somehow, I didn't exactly consider it beforehand, but I have no means to have a sip of water. My throat is getting drier and drier from all the walking and because of my lack of judgement, I have to struggle going there thirsty. Because of a certain girl here who got more of my attention, I completely forgot to buy some water.

*Gulp, gulp*

Just as the gulping noise reaches my ears, I turn to see Uni having a water bottle tilted upside-down with her lips pressed on the edge of the opening. She devours almost half of the content. She could be showing it off on purpose to mess with me. Nonetheless, it's working.

When she finishes, she lets out a sigh and I call out to her.

"What?" she says.

"Can I have a sip on that? My throat's burning here." I rub my throat.

Her face turning red, she jerks her body sideways along with the half empty water bottle on her hand. "Wh-why should I? This is mine. And besides, if you did th-then y-you'll . . ."

"Alright, alright, already. Not like I wanted a drink from you anyway." She could've just told me 'no' and be done with it.

I try to turn, but she shoves the water bottle on my face, still looking away from me.

"F-fine! But only a little."

Accepting her offer, I take the water bottle from her hand and take one mouthful and gulp it all down. Then I return it to her. The content inside is still near half, but still depleted quite a bit. Although, it did help subside the burning sensation on my throat for now.

"Thanks. I'm all better now." I 'smile' at her.

"J-just make me a ham and cheese sandwich when we get there so we can call it even," she says, still not looking at me. "And also! Don't _ever_ tell this to anyone!"

"You got it, mistress." She pouts.

"Just Uni is fine . . ."

"What?"

"Grr . . . It's nothing! Hmph!"

She reminds me of Alice when she gets angry like this. Ah, those days.

Continuing our walk, we make our way even further inside the forest. I'd complain at how long and how large this place is until the shape of the cave entrance comes to view in front of us. I stretch my arms. Finally, we're almost there. The outside of the cave seems connected to a larger mountain in a different direction. Uni runs up in the front and points at it.

"We're almost there!" Although, she immediately covers her mouth when she said that. "I-I mean, looks like we're nearing."

"Yeah. So, it seems. Once we get there, we'll—what was that?"

We stop dead on our tracks. A rustle noise comes from one of the bushes on the sides. _Was it my imagination?_ But I get my answer right away when a giant spider appears from the sky. It's dropping directly at us.

"Uni!" Dashing, I manage to get both of us away from the impact. Stumbling over the grass to the nearby bush, the moment we stop, I look at Uni, who is below me on the ground, and ask if she's all right. She nods in response. "That was close."

"I'm fine, but . . . c-can you get off me already?"

I didn't realize it, but I'm right on top of Uni, almost locking her down on the ground if I don't move out of the way.

"Oh, r-right. Sorry." I twist to the side, sitting as I did while Uni gets up then brushes off the twigs and leaves on her clothes, skin, and hair.

We aren't in the clear yet, though, as the giant spider turns around to face us and rushes towards us. Both of us gets up and move in opposite directions. It works as it got confused which one to go for. But instead of letting it decide, Uni hits it with a quick shot from her weapon. She's also already in her HDD form. She lowers her gun that makes her white twin drill hair to sway as she did. Instead of a dress, she has a black, tight body suit with black gloves and shoes.

She brings her gun up again and fire at it relentlessly. Her attack hits it and causes it to let out a cry before charging right at her. It claws her, but she dodges it and hit it again. She slides underneath it and blast a shot below it.

"Look out!" I shout.

Just as she tries to stand up from her last attack, the spider swings a leg at her and tosses her to a nearby tree. It screeches again and sends two stabs at me. I barely managed to dodge it, but man it tore the left side of my pants. It did it again and I jump out of it.

"An impatient one, are you?" When it swings another leg, instead of dodging it, I grab hold of it. It didn't like it. It tries to shake me off, but I refuse to let go. The moment it got tired of swinging for a while, I climb the leg towards its large hairy body. Its hair is sturdy enough to keep me from falling as I did. When I reach the top, I mount on it the same way someone does with a horse and grip its hair. It goes wild, violently shaking, twisting, just to try and get me off of it. None of its legs are flexible enough to reach me, and it's a good opportunity.

"Regret tiring yourself now?"

That made the spider screech again and charge straight towards a tree. Smart move as it caught me off guard. It keeps crashing on trees until it got hit with another shot from Uni. Somehow, it's enough to make it forget about me being on top of it and swings at her, and this time, adding a chomp with its attack.

 _What am I supposed to do now? I don't have a weapon that can deal with this thing. Although, maybe I can . . . yeah, I'll do that._

Crawling, I inch myself toward its head. My plan is to get in its eyes and annoy the living hell out of it, but something stops me from going along with it once I reach midway. Glowing on its dark brown, hairy head is a glowing red mark.

"What . . .?" At first, I rub my eye thinking that it must be some sort of trick or illusion, but it isn't. It's still there, glowing brightly at intervals.

I snap back to reality when Uni gets hit again and is sent to the ground. It won't go down regularly as long as the mark remains, but I'm going to have to use "it" to negate it . . . Ah, crap. Distracted too long, the spider must've remembered that I was still on top of it and crashes to yet another tree again, this time it manages to fling me off it. Then, it sends me flying as I flew midway, landing near Uni.

" _Cough, cough._ You okay?" Uni asks, getting up.

"More or less." I get to my feet. She was about to fly up in the air again, but I stop her. It's not a good idea to keep fighting it like this.

"What is it?"

"You can't beat it as you are right now." I dust off some of the dirt on my coat. Great, and I just had it bleached even.

"Hah? Are you telling me I'm weak? Well, for your information, I'm more than ca—"

"No, that's _not_ it. Did you notice something on its head?" She falls silent and then nods afterwards.

"I did, but what does that has to do with—"

"As a matter of fact, it _does_ have something to do with it. No matter how much you attack it, it'll only get annoyed, but it won't take real damage."

"What do you mean?"

Before answering, the spider throws a claw attack at us. We dodge it. Although, letting this go on won't end it well for us. I taunt the spider, which thankfully works, and gets its leg to hit the tree behind me. It struggles, but it'll give enough time.

"Look, I'm going to have you promise me to keep quiet about this."

"Keep quiet about what?" The spider breaks free and shoots large silks our way. Uni takes my arm and flies us away from the shots. The trees it hit breaks in half and flings away to the other trees.

"Whoa, I do _not_ want to get hit by that. Uni, I'll make sure you can strike it down. Once I activate 'it' you'll need to hit it with your strongest. Can you do that?" She nods.

"Wait, what are you going to do?"

"Hit its eyes with dirt or something? No, seriously, just get ready." I remove my hand from her and land on ground a couple of feet away from the big guy. I remove my eye-patch and raise my right hand. "Tch, if you didn't have that mark, then I wouldn't have to resort to this . . ."

"What are you . . .?"

"Ready?"

I close my eyes; everything around me slows down, no noise goes through, only silence. Then, after a few moments, I begin chanting. Texts and magic runes form around me; a magic circle appears underneath my feet. In the middle of the chant, my hair starts to sway upwards, as though there's a large, strong fan below. Then comes the final words to complete 'it':

" _Noctrum Limuli Screos"_

Right as the last words comes out of my mouth, everything starts moving again. Uni lands beside me, her brows furrowing. It's like nothing happened . . .

Except something did happen.

The sky isn't the same sky-blue color, nor is the sun present at all. It vanished. Or, in other words, it was replaced with something else. The whole surrounding is engulfed in a dark shade of purple, no light is emitting from anywhere. But there's only one thing that's giving light: It's a single crescent moon directly in the center sitting on the sky. Even though it looks like it's night, there's no stars anywhere. Not even the clouds. Just the moon.

"What's going on . . .?" Uni says, moving her head around as she did.

"Uni . . ."

"Y-yeah?" she shuffles back a bit, but remains her composure.

"Hit it. Now."

"I-I'm getting to that, okay?" she points her gun to the giant spider. "I'll end this gracefully." With a _bang_ , she fires a shot and runs straight towards it afterward. It flings the spider to the air when it made contact. Then, she fires a second. "I'm gonna unload this clip into your face!" When she passes under it, she fires again _bang, bang, bang_ , as she turns around then halts, blue particles are being concentrated on her gun's hole. "Even if you cry, I'm not forgiving you!" A blue and white laser aims hits the spider. "Disappear!" Once the laser is gone, the spider explodes that spreads on two sides. The spider then falls back down, but Uni isn't finish yet. "I've got the last hit" —she jumps and at the same time, spins— "Go!" Then fires an orange beam this time. An orange dome-like explosion forms and leaves nothing behind.

Once Uni hits the ground, I deactivate 'it' at once and everything goes back to normal, this time making it seem like nothing actually happened.

"That's cool and all, but was it really necessary to say those phrases while doing that?" I ask, taking deep breaths.

"Well, I did say I'll end it gracefully." Good point, I guess. She returns to her human form and dematerialized her gun. "What did you do? The shots were louder and the lasers were larger than I'm used to."

"About that." I place my hands on her shoulders. "Remember what you promised? Do _not_ tell this to _anyone_. No matter what. It's important."

"Wh-why not?"

"Please?"

I'd erase her memories now, but after expending most of my energy from using "it" doing so could cause harm for her. There's no telling what will happen to her if I did. I don't want her telling, but I'm not going to risk erasing her memories in this state. Perhaps I'll just do it when I have another chance. It'll take a while, though.

"F-fine. B-but I'm not doing it for your sake! I'm just being considerate, that's all. So, you better be grateful." I remove my hands on her shoulders and sigh. "But really, what _was_ that? One moment, it was daytime, and then the next thing I knew, it was night. But the night looked different. I've never seen anything like that before. Who are you? And where did you come from?"

The only answer I give her is a _bonk_ to her head.

"Hey, ow! What was that for?"

"Can you let this slide for now? I got really tired after that, you know? I'd appreciate it if you do that."

Her hands on her head, she stares at me with her brows furrowed, while making a weird "Mmm . . ." as she tries to pierce through my soul. Although, I can't say for sure that's what she's doing.

"All right already, geez. And don't hit me again. I'll shoot you if you did."

Yikes, talk about aggressive right there. I place a hand on her head and rub it. "I won't. You did a good, Uni."

Her face flushes again. She slaps my hand away and runs off, but not without stopping to look back at my direction, which I'm currently petrified from what she did, and says, "Well? Hurry up!"

I shake my head and say, "Hold up, will you?" Then catch up with her as we head for the cave.

Yep, girls are still hard to understand for me even to this day.

~0~0~0~

-Nepstation-

Neptune: You're watching Nepstation! I'm your host, everyone's favorite and cutest CPU, Neptune! I'm here along with . . .

Noire: Neptune, don't keep leaning on the desk.

Neptune: Ehh? Why not? It's so warm and comfy here.

Noire: Not right now. We have something important to do here.

Neptune: Aw, can't you relax for a bit? This is the reason why you don't have friends.

Noire: Wh-what? Th-that's not true! I have friends!

Neptune: Really? You mean it? Who are they? Where did they come from? Do they hang out with you?

Noire: Oh, th-that, well, um . . .

Neptune: Hmm~?

Noire: E-enough already! Let's get on with this preview already.

Neptune: Okay! Looks like we got a little chapter for Noire's little sister here. Ooh, but not only that, she seemed to found out about something from Maki that we don't know about. I wonder what could it be? Maybe it can make some pudding? *Gasps* I need to know.

Noire: I am quite worried about her, since she's with him. I don't even know him yet, but can we trust him?

Neptune: I'm sure we can. Besides, he makes some mean pudding! Anyone who can make some mean pudding is OK in my pudding.

Noire: *Sigh* Guess I'll have to find out myself.

Neptune: What's going to happen next? What can this "it" Maki is talking about? Will they be able to reach the rest of the group before reaching the picnic and meeting all the other CPUs? Find out next time, on "Subtleties and Pudding!"

Noire: It's "Subtleties and _Meeting_ ", Neptune.

Neptune: Hey, Noire? How does it feel knowing Uni beat you in finding a friend first?

Noire: H-hey! I told you, I have frien—!

Neptune: And that's all the time we have for today. See you all in the next chapter!


	17. Subtleties and Meeting

**Chapter 17**

 _Subtleties and Meeting_

Neptune and the new girl, Noire, are in the front, leading the whole group through this large yet well-designed cave, stalactites above, a clear path, but still there are monsters lingering around. For one thing, they did consider to just fly to the other side with their HDD form, but decided not to. IF is carrying the picnic basket since that was the only thing that wasn't too hard for her only functioning arm to hold at the moment. Compa, on the other hand, is carrying two large grocery bags, but inside them aren't groceries. They contain utensils, napkins, knives, chopping board, and other kitchen-related things, from knives to paper plates. Now, I'm not exactly sure why she had those, but the other bag had some stuff for barbecuing as well as a grill. Got to say though, it's impressive how she's able to carry them without showing the least bit of struggle on her face.

Usually, caves are very dark to the point where it's the same thing as eyes being closed. Torches come in handy during times like those, right? Just have some coal wrapped in a stick or maybe even go crazy and just pour some oil instead. Although, I'm not sure how they make sure it's safe, but they did. It wasn't the case on this place however. There are emerald crystals lying around everywhere throughout the whole cave and it emits a bright green light enough to shine our path and shame all of the people who wasted money on purchasing torches. Although there are some monsters residing here, the CPUs make quick work of them. So, it's not much trouble going through the place so far.

"How are you feeling?" asks the blond-haired CPU, Vert. This is the first time for me to speak to her. Blanc kept her away from me when we first arrived, but now that she has a chance, she went up and speaks to me. I find it strange, though, for her to dislike someone like her. Is there something going on between them? In any case, it's slowly getting awkward for me just to see them like that.

"There's nothing to worry about," I say. "I haven't gotten a headache for a while now."

"I am delighted to hear that. It would not bode well for me if my dear Rom was feeling ill. But if you were, I would be more than happy to nurture you back to full health."

"Th-thanks . . ." A sweat drop on my forehead. "I'm fine now, so there's no need for you to—"

"Oh, that's no good." She takes hold of my right hand with her own that's covered in white gloves. "Surely you must let your big sister to take care of you during times of need. When I heard the news that you were ill, I just couldn't sit back and watch. Now then, why don't you let your big sis here to take care of you. Do not worry. I won't let any monsters lay a finger on you."

Isn't Blanc my big sister? Our hairs are brown, though, and hers is blond. She might not be related to us. Although, I did have an aunt with a freaky green hair. Why do I say freaky? Well, because that's not the only thing she had on her head that stood out like a sore thumb. Though, I'd prefer if I don't discuss about the details. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.

"Oy," speaking of Blanc, "Get your hands off my sister!" She grabs my wrist and jerks me away from Vert. I guess here's my answer then.

"My, my, I was just giving my sincerest help to my loving sister."

"One: She's _my_ sister. Two: I'm not letting you do whatever you want with her. C'mon Rom."

She pulls me further away from Vert, nearing more on IF and Compa's side. I don't know why, but I'm guessing they have a deep grudge against each other (I think it's only Blanc who's acting like it, though). To be honest, it's a shame, really. Isn't there anything that they have in common?

~0~0~0~

Vert only sighed after her loving little sister was taken away from her. However, instead of sulking, she turned her attention to Nepgear, who was walking alongside Ram. There was something weighing in her mind for a while now ever since they mentioned it during their visit in her Basilicom. Another certain "little sister" wasn't with them. At first, she thought she might've been sick, but then again, it's nearly impossible for a CPU to get sick from common natural sickness.

"Nepgear," she called out. "Where is Uni? Noire is here, so she must have come with her, but I do not see her anywhere. Why is that?"

Nepgear faced her, a smile on her face. She was holding Ram's left hand with her own right hand as she said, "I asked Noire the same question. She said she had something to check on. So, she might be late, but she'll arrive, I know it. I do kind of wonder whether she'll end up bumping into Maki, though. She did go to the same direction after all."

"That reminds me. You said you found someone unconscious in an open plain not too long ago. Are you referring to her?" She hasn't met the new person yet, despite the occasional talk about her a few times during their visit.

"Er, Maki's a _he_ , not a she," Nepgear corrected.

"Is that so? I could've sworn that was a girl's name. More importantly . . . what kind of person is he? What does he look like? Does he have a beard? Or perhaps he has glasses? I don't mind those. Is he the shy type or the assertive type? Please, I need to know!" She kept moving closer and closer to Nepgear's face as she shot her with questions after questions.

"E-eh? W-well, he can be strange sometimes, but he's not that terrible of a person. At least, that's what I've seen him so far. Maybe you should ask Compa? I saw him in her house when we came to visit IF's condition one time. She might have more details about him than I do. N-now, Vert, can you please move out of my face? You're getting a bit too close."

"Perhaps I will." Of course, she wanted to keep on talking with her, but her curiosity overshadowed it for the time being.

Once they reached a large bridge that led to the other side of another part of the cave, everyone stopped to take a short break. It was getting exhausting for them to continue walking along the path, so a quick breather should give them time to get most of their energies back. Ram and Neptune each took a water bottle from Compa's supplies and gulped it all down to the last drop almost immediately. After a few moments of silence after a good _haah_ from Neptune, she suddenly screamed "I'm bored already. I'mma grind some levels for now." And rushed ahead to the other side of the bridge.

During this time, Vert thought this was a good chance to speak to Compa, but at the same time she wanted to speak with her in private. So, she walked towards her and said, "Can you spare a few moments with me? I have something I need to discuss with you. Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long."

"Okay," Compa said.

They retraced the path where they came from before until they were somewhat out of ear shot from the others, as well as their line of sights. After confirming that, Vert came to a halt and faced the girl with a C headband.

"I'll get straight to the point," Vert said. "I heard from Nepgear that you know quite well of Maki, am I correct?"

This made her raise her eyebrows, but she immediately brought them down and placed a smile on her face. "Well, not really. I mean, I only bumped into him once and brought him back to my house because he fell unconscious. Leaving him in the middle of the streets isn't really a good idea." Unconscious she said. It's true, but not entirely. She purposely left the blood part out of the details mostly since she deemed it as unnecessary details.

"So, is there anything odd about him?"

"W-well, not really."

"Can I trust you with that? You seem quite nervous about something, though." Compa was now at the edge of her seat. Even after what happened between the two of them, she still had a promise, and she intended to keep it.

"Am I? A-anyway, I don't think I'm the right person to answer your question. Why don't you get to know him once we have our picnic?"

"Hmm, that does sound like a good idea." Vert decided not to force any more answers from her. Sure, she's acting that way, but she doesn't plan on going bad cop on a sweet girl that clearly hasn't done any major crimes.

"I'll head back now. They might get worried if we stay away for too long."

But even after she left, something on Vert's mind still lingers from the discussion they had. And it's not something she can blow the candle very easily, even if it was her own birthday cake, or maybe even if it's her own present.

 _She must be hiding something. I have never seen Compa this nervous about something before. Is it something that important that she intend to keep it within the shadow from everyone else?_

~0~0~0~

If there is one thing Neptune can't stand, it's not getting enough pudding to fill in the empty hole in her stomach. After defeating the last of the pink dogoo at the random encounter she had, she sprinted back towards the group that has been resting for a good couple of minutes now. It wasn't exactly that bad, since they won't move until an event flag triggers or something along the lines. But most importantly, her stomach began growling like some kind of mini boss monster who hasn't been fought for a very long time.

"Hm, hm~ That should be enough grinding for now."

Her best friend, Compa, was the one who was carrying her supplies of pudding. At first, she felt bad that she had to let her carry all those with her girly girl arms, but Compa told her, "It's no problem, Nep-Nep. I can carry you too if you wanted." And Neptune couldn't help but give her the biggest hug evah!

But when she came back, she couldn't find her anywhere. Not with the twins, not with Blanny, not with Iffy, not with Nep Jr., not even Ms. Lonely Heart was with her. She did, however, noticed the lack of woman with bouncing wonders.

Speaking of Ms. Lonely Heart, just as she gave out a big yawn, she took this chance to sneak up behind her with the biggest grin on her face. "Oh Noire~ Wanna have some pudding with me? Y'know, like old times?"

"Noi—! N-Neptune? Wh-why should I? I'm not that hungry unlike you, you know? Seriously, can't you wait until we get to the actual picnic until you start devouring like an animal?"

"So . . . you don't want to?" This will trigger her route, she thought. Like it's some kind of romance visual novel.

"Er, w-well, it's not like I don't _want_ to, but—"

"Whoo, yeah! That makes this Nep, a happy Nep." She clung onto her, wrapping her arms around her neck while rocking on her back, back and forth.

"Geez, fine. Get off me already." Noire removed Neptune's bind around her neck and dropped her to the ground as if she was some sort of necklace that was drenched in sweat.

"Oh, yeah, I've been wondering, where's Compa? Not even my mega instincts can get a read of her."

"Does it even matter? She went with Vert somewhere in the back earlier."

"Of course, it matters! My pudding is on the line. Wait, what are they doing all the way back there?"

"How should I know?"

Just then, Compa returns.

"Compa! Can I have some pudding? My bod's craving for some."

"Sure thing, Nep-Nep." Compa started rummaging on one of the large grocery bags when Neptune asked another question that caught her off guard.

"So . . . what were you and Vert doing back there?"

She flinched, almost hitting her hand on one of the knives inside. Why she had the puddings mixed in with the dozens of knives, Neptune will never know. But other than that, that wasn't the main point.

"Huh? O-oh, well, you know, some stuff," Compa stuttered. She had plenty of practice with her part-time training job in the hospital in reassuring patients. But right now, even with all those experiences, all of it seems to have gone down the drain.

"And what stuff were you talking about?"

"I-it's definitely doesn't have anything to do with Maki, if that's what you're thinking."

"Heh~? Alright, so, it didn't have anything to do with the red hare man." It's definitely the red hare man, she thought. Compa is bad at lying, and that's one of her quirks, Neptune would say to her millions of fans out there. How can a cute and innocent nurse-in-training be that good at it?

"I, for one, don't buy that," Noire said. "If it's about that man Nepgear found, then I'd like to meet the guy to see whether he's capable or as worse as Neptune."

"Hey! I'll have you know that he can't even top me at my new record!"

"New record?"

"Wait, are you interested in him?" Neptune gasped. "Don't tell me all that time not having friends got you desperate enough to go for a guy instead? Oh c'mon, Noire. You know you can't just jump into the whole romance thing in an instant! You need to get all lovey-dovey first."

"N-no I'm not! I-I just wanted to know who he is and what he does, th-that's all! A-anyway, Compa, can you tell me about him?"

"Well, he's good at making rabbits," Compa said.

"Making . . . rabbits?"

"Oh Noire~ Are you having one of those fantasies again?" Neptune asked.

"Absolutely not! Anything else?"

"And . . . he's good at . . ." she remembered the time when she saw his eyes, the tree withering like it meant nothing, and the time when he almost erased her memories. She spaced out there for a moment, but snapped back to reality almost immediately. "Ah, I just remembered something! I need to go, Nep-Nep."

"H-hey, wait up! And there she goes . . ." Compa went off and left the two CPUs along together once again.

"Isn't she acting a bit strange, though?" Noire said.

"Hmm . . . She is acting too much like you." It's most definitely like Ms. Lonely Heart. But what caused her to get a dose of Noire syndrome? Maybe it's a new disease and might spread into her little bod? That's certainly something she doesn't want to happen to her!

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Now, now, it's not like she's not the same Compa we all know to come and love. Right now, we have another thing that's importa—" She realized too late, but her pudding still wasn't there. Compa was the one who knew where it was underneath all of the knives and other junks inside of the bag. Neptune turned to the direction where Compa went and ran after her. "Compa! You forgot my pudding!"

"Geez, typical Neptune." Noire sighed and looked back at the direction where they came from. "Still, what's taking Uni so long?"

~0~0~0~

I'm staring at one of the green crystals next to the picnic basket. With my knees and hands on the ground, I adjust my sitting for a bit before finding a comfy spot. Sitting like this is something I've never done before, but I saw Maki did it a couple of times in the past so I wanted to try it out myself. It's not giving me the best impression, though.

The green crystal shimmers brighter that makes me lean forward a little more. If only we had something like this then maybe we wouldn't be burning that many candles and torches as much in the kingdom. But then again, I'm not sure if these actually last for a very long time.

As I ponder, however, something heavy struck behind my head and forces me to fall on my back with a _thud_.

 _Another headache?_ I think. But something's different. It's not exactly the same beating and poking that I usually get. Instead, the moment I blink, everything around me becomes white. Nothing but white, like I'm inside some kind of box or something. Only there's nothing in here. _What is this? Where am I?_ Strangely enough, I'm not feeling any sense of distress at all. It's actually quite calming in here. Still, it won't be good for me if I remain here for too long.

"Who are you . . .?"

I turn towards the source of the voice. A girl stands there, with her short brown hair, white hat, and white coat. The person I'm looking at right now must be a mini version of Blanc. Wait, mini version of Blanc?

"Are you . . . Rom?" She nods. Thought so. I've already seen myself in the mirror, so I can tell if that was her body or not. "That's a relief. I thought for sure you were lost. I'd feel bad if I kept your body." Truth be told, my chest was starting to become heavier the longer it took for me to know who Rom actually is. And now, she's here, right in front of me.

"It's okay . . . You seem like a nice person," Rom says.

"Thanks. So, would you like to get your body back?" She shakes her head. The gesture makes me tilt my head and furrow my brows. "Huh, why? This body is yours, isn't it?"

"Yes, but . . . I can't control it."

"What do you mean? You can't control it? Ugh, this is just perfect. It's already hard enough to try and get away with acting around like her, but it's getting more difficult especially when they ask a question about something I don't know about. Why is this happening to me?"

"Sorry . . ."

"Huh? O-oh, no! It's not your fault. I'm just trying to clear my head, okay? Forgive me if I sounded rude to you. I didn't mean what I said."

"Okay . . ."

She seems like a good child. Although, she's a lot more reserved than her twin sister. At least it makes it easier for me to tell her things. Although, before asking her any questions, it's important for me to get rid of this stranger barrier between us.

"Anyway, since we're here, I guess I can tell you about myself. You want to know who I am, right?" She nods, making a _hmp hmp_ as she does.

"You have the same hair as miss Vert."

Ah, yes, my hair does resemble quite similar to Vert. Not exactly the hair style, but the curling strands at the end. But if I have to make a comparison, Nepgear makes a closer resemblance to my face, body curves, and the slimness of my arms. But it's hard to explain when I haven't seen my body in such a long time.

Wait, _same hair as Vert_? How does she know that . . .? Unless . . .

"Am I . . .?" I put my hands in front of me. My white, frilly gloves are right there along with the white puffy skirt below. Then I grab my hair and pull it in front of me. It's my straight blond hair with the curling strands. I don't believe this—no, I _can't_ believe this. But yet, here I am, back in my own body! But how is this possible? Is it because I'm not Rom right now? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but who cares? I'm wearing my favorite dress right now and that's what matters to me.

"You look pretty, miss," Rom says. Her voice is so adorable that it makes me want to pat her head like some kind of cute cat. Although, she's still putting a stranger barrier on me.

"I don't really want you to call me miss all the time. First thing, though, I'm a princess. Now, that might be hard to believe, but trust me, I am. My name is Minerva Soleil. Although, for you, just call me Celes. I don't mind. That's the nickname my parents always used anyway."

"Okay, miss Celes."

"I told you to drop the 'miss' honorifics. We're friends now!"

"Mhm, Celes," she nods.

This girl is cute in her own way. Although, doesn't that mean I've been doing a very sloppy job at trying to mimic her? Sure, I did make sure not to say anything too weird, but I'm still quite surprised as to how they let me be without raising that high of a suspicion. Perhaps it's because of the things happening that got their attention more than my behavior? Either way, maybe I can do a better job once I get to know her more.

"Rom," I say. She looks directly at my eyes. "I'll make sure to find a way to give you your body back. I promise." I don't want to keep her away from her family for too long. I know how that feels. And that'll be my main first priority.

"I . . . believe in you. If you need help, you can ask me. I'll be right here."

"Thanks."

Right after saying that, her figure starts to fade. I reach in to her, but only for my hand to phase through, losing my footing and going on all fours. In the next moment, the terrain around me becomes the familiar cave I was in earlier. Although, instead of all fours, I'm lying on my back, the stalactites filling my view along with a certain girl's face with a creamy pink hair and eyes.

"Are you all right?" she asks.

Realizing this, I immediately sit, dusting away the dirt that got onto my outfit and adjust my hat.

"M-mhm." I try to imitate the same thing Rom did when she answered me. "H-how long was I out?" It might've taken at least a good while when I had that talk with Rom. Hopefully it didn't take that long.

"What do you mean? You just fell on your back, so I came and see how you were."

So, it didn't take that long at all? Does that mean my meeting with Rom was only an instance from everyone else? It's strange, but either way, I'm more than glad to have spoken to her. I at least know what her attitude is. For one thing, she doesn't speak much and is very polite. I don't have to worry about the latter, but for the former part . . .

"It'll take time for me to get used to not blabber too much . . ." I mumble.

"Hm? What is it?" Compa asks.

Instead of answering, I shake my head sideways instead. She sighs in relief and gives out a smile. Just when she's about to say something, the whole cave shakes, causing some rocks and dirt from the ceiling to fall onto us, even some of the stalactites come crashing down as though they were the spears of the Dragoons having a will of their own.

"Nepu! What kind of event flag did Noire trigger this time?" Neptune says.

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" Noire retorts.

At this point, the shaking gets stronger, enough to force me on my knees as well as getting some of us on all fours. Then, a loud _ROOAAR_ comes from the other side of the bridge. The stomping starts getting louder and louder. Everyone else seems to have the same idea as to what it was.

"It's an ancient dragon!" Nepgear says, pointing.

And just as she said that, a giant dragon, about the size of a three-story building comes into view. Its brown body seems like it got covered in so much dirt that washing it might pollute an entire pond in an instant.

IF stands, drawing out her katars. "Looks like our picnic's gonna wait. Let's take this thing down!"

"Allll righty! Time for the main character to get some action! It's morphin' time!" Neptune's body starts to glow and out comes Purple Heart, her katana on hand, and flies toward the ancient dragon.

"I won't let you have all the spotlight!" Noire says, transforming to her own HDD, with her own sword, and joins in the battle.

"Heh, I wondered where I could release all this pent anger I have." Blanc transforms as well, raising her giant axe and smashing it on the ground, causing another tremor as though she's trying to prove who's stronger. "Alright, who wants to get smashed to bits!?" Then follows them to battle as well.

"Oh my, and I just got back," Vert sighs. "Oh well." She changes to Green Heart and spins her spear around her before posing. "This interference will not be forgiven!" She dashes towards them, ducking under the tail-sweep of the dragon.

Nepgear and Ram, however, run towards where Compa and I are.

"We need to help our sis. Rom, can you transform?" Nepgear asks. I shake my head. Of all things I didn't know, I just had to forget to ask her about HDD. But what use will I be even if I did? I don't know a single thing about her powers. Unless . . .

It's only a hunch, but maybe, just maybe, I can try to speak to Rom again and ask her directly. But the question is: _How?_

"Okay, just stay with Compa. She'll keep you safe," Nepgear says.

"Just leave it to me!" Ram says. "We'll be back before you know it! Let's play once we have picnic." I nod. Although, maybe I shouldn't always rely on nodding and shaking all the time. I already spoken quite a bit before, so it shouldn't be too risky saying more stuff now.

"Be careful," I say.

They both transform themselves and fly above us. Nepgear points her weapon, particles charging up on it. Ram, however, seems like she's about to cast a spell, with a magic circle is in front of her, although it looks different, it sends out a barrage of spear-like icicles towards the dragon. Compa gets me out of my daze with a nudge on the shoulder and pulls me away from the group and towards the rest of the picnic supplies, hiding behind a large rock wall.

~0~0~0~

-Nepstation-

Neptune: You're watching Nepstation! I'm your host, Neptune. And today I'm with . . .

Uni: Wait, what am I doing here?

Neptune: Aw, c'mon, Uni. You know this place is different from the actual story. We can say anything we want here.

Uni: Um, okay . . .

Neptune: Well, alrighty then. Since, this is our second Nepstation in the story so we gotta do this with a bang! So, with that out of the way, let's get onto the preview, shall we?

Uni: Right. There was quite a bit of things that got covered in one chapter. And now, the whole group has to fight an ancient dragon. Will Rom ever transform to her HDD? Compa is also having a tough time trying to keep something away from everyone else. What could it be? Find out in the next chapter or so, on "A Girl's Folly."

Neptune: That's about wraps up everything. Oh, I almost forgot! Silly me, the author left us a note! Let's see . . . "From now on, Author's Notes will be switched out into Nepstation. I played the game again and totally realized that Neptunia actually had something like this. So, from now on, expect me to inform things like this instead." Eh~? If that's the case . . . Hey, why don't you join us here instead of hiding behind the camera there if you're gonna be announcing like this? It's not fair if you let me be the one explaining things to the readers.

Zidawn: What? You were complaining how little dialogue I give you every single time. I already explained to you about this before, but it's hard to make sure to keep you in character every time. And I'm not even sure if I'm doing it right still.

Neptune: Aw, you don't have to worry about that! It's not like they'll storm in your home and raise some pitches and forks.

Zidawn: Don't say that. I won't be able to get some sleep if I think about it. Anyway, we're already taking this way too long than what it should be. Just end it with your usual line.

Neptune: What if I don't want to?

Zidawn: *Sigh*I'll give you two packs of pudding if you do.

Neptune: Nepu! I'll end it right away then! Ahem. Hope to see you all next time, in the next chapter! Now, where's my pudding? Gimme, gimme.

Zidawn: Just follow me to the kitchen.

Neptune: Coming~

Uni: . . . Um, don't I have any say in this? Oh, is the camera still on? Ahem. Until next time everyone.


	18. A Girl's Folly

**Chapter 18**

 _A Girl's Folly_

IF hits the dragon's foot with her single katar, but winces as her left arm screams from her movement. Before she can react, the dragon stomps the ground and makes a shockwave that made IF fly towards Purple Heart, who catches her, and then holds on to her aching arm.

"Are you all right?" Purple Heart asks. She places IF down to where Compa and Rom are. "Stay with them, your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Don't worry, just leave it to us. We'll handle it."

"Khh . . . as much as I hate to say it, but you're right. I'm counting on you, Nep." Purple Heart nods and takes the air again.

Black Heart dodges an incoming fire breath attack and flies toward the left side of the dragon's body and relentlessly slash it until the dragon sends her a tail which causes her to fall back. That should be able to get at least slow it down. But instead of slowing down, it charges at her so quickly that its body was more of a blur than anything else. This made the CPU crash into a wall near where Compa and Rom are, leaving a large hole and smoke behind.

"Ugh . . ."

"You all right there?" Purple Heart asks, floating towards Black Heart. She spins and blocks off another incoming tail-swing with her sword, but struggles as she does so.

"Better than you, I'd say." Black Heart gets up, rubbing her head. "That guy can seriously pack a punch. Keep your guard up."

"I'll keep that in mind."

In the midst of their conversation, White Heart and Green Heart are aiming for the dragon's wings, their weapons about to hit their mark, but the dragon did not react at all. Or rather, it wasn't worried at all. It didn't roar again, it didn't charge, it didn't move. It's just standing there, like there's something else preoccupying it.

"Eat this ya piece of shit!" White Heart brings her axe down to the very flesh of the wing, but what was supposed to tear it or at least damage it, even I was expecting something like that to happen, instead the axe just bounces off sliding as it did, like some kind of slippery oil covering it. "Wha—? What the hell!?" She stumbles trying to fix her control from the swing, but before she can even react, the dragon got a head start and throws her away with its wing that she initially planned to attack.

Green Heart also attacked the other wing when White Heart did, but immediately fell back before the wing hit her, which forced her to let go of her spear (since the momentum was going to make it hard to recover) and flew backwards in a safe distance.

"Oh dear, this may be more difficult than we thought it was," Green Heart says.

"Well, no fuckin' shit it's gonna be difficult." White Heart flies towards Green Heart and dusts off some dirt on her outfit. "Looks like we can't hit its wings. Then I guess I'll just have to crush it the old fashion way!" Raising her axe, she brings her axe toward the dragon once more, this time targeting its long, white scaly neck. However, the dragon didn't let her have her way this time and bites on her axe with its sharp teeth to stop her.

Using this chance, though, Green Heart targets the abdomen, re-materializing her spear on her hand, and strikes. However, before she can land her mark, the dragon sends White Heart towards her and gets both of them to collide near the hole Black Heart was at.

When this happened, it takes a step forward, but then realizes that its feet got trapped in frozen ice. Then, multiple beams hit it in random parts which causes it to roar again, struggling and thrashing around in an effort to break free from its chains. It turns its attention to Ram, who is floating right above the dragon's face with a cheeky smile, and is barraging it with icicle spears. Nepgear is backing her up with more shots, but the dragon uses its breath attack that made the two disperse from their positions.

"Having fun, you two?" Black Heart sniggers.

"Oh, shut up." White Heart gets out of the whole, with Green Heart doing the same, and floats with the other two CPUs. "What the hell do we do now?"

"Right now, Nep Jr. and Ram are distracting our large friend there. For one thing, it reacts a lot faster than the normal ancient dragon we fought against. So, I don't suppose it will work if we kept on attacking it like how we're doing it now."

"So? What do you propose to do then?"

Purple Heart flashes a grin. "Simple. I'll have Nep Jr. distract it while Blanc pins its tail to the ground. That way, it won't swing it while we attack. You can do it, right?"

White Heart nods. "Yeah, I can keep that tail from wagging. Just make sure you get it once I do."

"But there is still one more thing that poses a problem," Green Heart intervenes. "You saw how it threw us with its wings. If we don't stop those, then our efforts will be for naught. However, I do have an idea as to how to stop them."

"Oh? And what could that be?" Black Heart asks, crossing her arms under her chest.

"That'll be a surprise. But know that I will stop them. I'll leave damaging the dragon to the two of you. I trust you two can do that, can't you?" Black Heart laughs heartily.

"Oh please, it'll be gone in a flash."

"Um, sis?" Nepgear interjects them. "How much longer do you need? I don't think we can hold on much longer. Ah—!" She blocks a chomp attack from the dragon and struggles to fight back.

"Then, let's get this plan into action," Purple Heart declares.

As in the plan, White Heart manages to sneak behind the dragon and readies her axe, Purple Heart and Black Heart are together in its front, and Green Heart is right above them and is looking down at it.

"Now, Nep Jr.!"

Just as the word reaches Nepgear, she de-materializes her weapon and falls back, causing the dragon to stumble forward as she did. At the same time this is happening, White Heart rushes towards the tail. " _Getter Ravine_!" She jumps and digs the tail deeper to the ground, then a blast comes out and manages to lock it in place, with the tail wriggling as though it was some sort of fish trapped in a fishing net.

"Yo, Thundertits!" White Heart yells. "How's 'bout you do whatever you were planning to do already!?"

"No need to tell me twice!" Green Heart spins her spear. Two large, green magic circles form beside her as she places her weapon behind her once she finishes spinning it and then yells, " _Sylhet Spear_!" Two giant spears appear from the magic circles and find their mark on the root of the wings instead of the wings themselves. This causes the dragon to roar louder. Somehow, it worked and the dragon is no longer able to move its wings, even if its temporary. But it was enough to let the other two CPUs to know it was safe to go all out.

"Don't you dare slow me down, Neptune!" Black Heart taunts.

"That goes to you as well," Purple Heart replies. "Let's see who can deal the most damage!"

"Fine by me!"

"Then let's go, Noire!" Purple light surrounds Purple Heart that's coming from her feet as she points up and reveals a large purple sword appearing from cubes. It points at the dragon's chest. While that's happening, Black Heart swings her sword to one side, with blue light coming from her feet instead, the very blade of her sword glows in myriads of color, and then takes a stance. Once she did, Purple Heart points toward the dragon and yells, " _32-bit Megablade_!" as the large sword above her and is dropping down towards the dragon's chest.

"Can you survive my _Tornado Sword_?" She slashes once, then twice, which both created a large slash hitting the dragon, then at this point her sword disappears. Afterwards, she jumps away, but something explodes on the dragon as she did.

 _ROAR!_

The dragon roars in agony, but Neptune's 32-bit Megablade lands on it and creates a purple explosion that hit its entire body before it can finish. Its head lands forward, its wings drops, and its body lies still on the ground. The rest of the CPUs regroups after the explosion in front of it.

"Did we get it?" Purple Heart asks.

~0~0~0~

"Did they get it?" I ask, peeking out of the rock Compa, IF and I were hiding behind in.

"They sure did," IF says. "Honestly, it's a shame I couldn't be a part of it. I was itching to fight something strong this time around."

"But you can't, Iffy," Compa says. "Most of your injuries already healed, but your arm hasn't yet. You might break it if you get seriously hurt again. Or worse, your arm might never heal. It'll make me sad if that happened. So please, don't do anything rash."

"Geez, you worry too much. I'll be fine, don't worry." She pats Compa's head.

"Hey, no fair! I didn't get a chance to attack it!" Ram complains.

"Good job, Nep Jr," Neptune says as Nepgear hugs her. "If it weren't for you distracting it, we wouldn't be able to beat it like we did."

"Not at all, sis."

Looks like things are starting to calm down. So, that's how powerful CPUs are? They're a lot stronger than what I expected them to be. But at least I can rest easy knowing that they can do more than well enough to protect everyone. Maki was the only person I relied on back then to protect me, so it does strike me as weird when there are more people who are capable of doing the same job as his.

Compa, IF and I decide to join in with the rest of the group. They're already back to their non-HDD form with Neptune sitting on the ground with a _haah_.

"See? What did I tell you? That dragon didn't stand a chance," Noire says.

"Yeah, but if it weren't for me, then you would've gotten your asses kicked," Blanc sniggers.

"Oh please, it was because of my ingenious plan that this became a success."

"Hey, hey!" Neptune yells. "That was _my_ awesome plan! I was the one who commandeered the whole thing even. That's why it was awesome!"

When I look at IF, she only sighs while Compa gives an awkward laugh. This is apparently quite normal between the four of them. It was hard to see or tell when we were walking around earlier, but they seem to enjoy each other's company. That's good to see. Then that means Blanc and Vert don't really hate each other then. Guess it was just my misunderstanding.

". . . well someone as . . . underdeveloped as you will never understand."

"What did you say, Thundertits!?"

Or so I thought.

"Now, now, why don't you two save that stuff for later?" IF says. "I'm sure you're all tired from that fight. We're almost there anyway."

"I agree," Vert says. "It is starting to get suffocating in here."

"It's only suffocating because you have those bags hanging around you," Blanc says. "Bet that sweat is becoming a pool underneath it."

"Oh my, are you jealous because you can't have your own private pool?"

"Damn hell I don't, ya bitch!"

And there they go again. I take it back, they're becoming hopeless. Is it really breasts that gets them ticking? I mean, I can understand why Blanc would care about them. I do have quite the size myself (but not as large as Vert's though). Having none isn't so bad, though. Not even Maki cares about chest size much, I think. Hmm, I'm not really sure.

While Blanc and Vert's seemingly never-ending heated argument continues, the entire cave starts shaking again. This time, however, is more violent than the last time. More of the stalactites fall from their hanging spot and splatters around.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Neptune says. "Didn't we beat the boss already? What's with all the shaking?"

"Wh-what's going on?" Ram asks.

"Look, the dragon!" IF points with her right index finger. Sure enough, the dragon is still the source of the shaking. It makes a loud _ROAR_ as it spreads its wings. It's standing again, as though all the damage it took was now gone.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Neptune complains. "This isn't the final boss yet. Why does it have a second form already? Oh, crap. What should we do, girls?"

"This is not good," Vert says. "I'm running low on Share energy. Summoning two Sylhet Spears at the same time expended too much. But it shouldn't be able to deplete it this much. Is there something else going on?"

"Damn, I don't have much myself . . ." Blanc says.

"Yeah, you're right," Noire says. "My Share's also running low. Why is this happening? Is something draining it?"

"Make that all of us," Neptune says. "My pudding meter's going down too. Aw, shucks."

Is it because of Maki's pendant again? But then again, he said that when it does drain magic (or in their case, Shares) the gem is supposed to glow brighter and brighter with each drain. The thing is, though, it's not shining at all. It remains dim. If that's the case, then what else could be the reason?

"Hey, what's that?" Neptune points at the dragon's chest. It's still the grayish scales, but there is something on it. It's glowing a scarlet color from dim to bright and vice versa. It also has a strange pattern to it. There are three sharp triangles, like the tip of a spear, facing down with the middle being the largest of the three. It takes a good while before it hits me. It's something Maki told me a long time ago.

 _It's a mark, isn't it?_

Sure enough, it is. However, I can't seem to recall what kind of mark it is or what it does. But what I do know is there's no other way to get rid of it without his help. That "thing" he kept telling me to remain a secret is the only way that can do the trick. But what should we do since he's not here?

The dragon roars again. It seems ready to strike again, but with the CPUs out of Share energy, there's no way they can fight it off.

What should I do? What _can_ I do?

If I cast my most powerful spell, then it'll raise suspicion. But should I even bother about my identity while this is happening? We'll all get killed if we do nothing. But even if I did cast my spell, it'll be useless if it doesn't affect him with that mark. Think Celes, think!

As I was pondering, however, the whole cave begins to become cooler. It wasn't like this earlier. The temperature was supposed to be warm since it's the middle of the day.

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Neptune asks.

"Hear what?" Noire replies. "I don't hear anything. Are you sure you're not hearing things?"

"Of course, I'm not! Just listen!"

What's she talking about? Hear something? What could it—

" _Noctrum Limuli Screos."_

That . . . that voice! Maki? Did he . . . use "it"? So, that's why the air got cold all of a sudden. He's using "it"! This is our chance. I don't know if he knew, or if he sensed a mark nearby, but whatever the reason is, this is a good opportunity.

"Rom!? Where do you think you're going?" Compa asks. I ignore her and continue to make my way towards the dragon. As expected, the dragon is agonizing from "it". It's unable to move its body. The only thing it can do is roar. And with this, I can start casting. I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to do this, but I can't let them do everything, even if I expose myself to them. Getting out of here alive is priority.

"Get away from that thing, now!" I'm guessing that's Blanc's voice, but still ignore it.

I place both of my hands in front and three red magic circles form with it. My hair and clothes start swaying, the cap on my head falling, I begin the spell.

" _Warrior of the air, king of the sky, the infinite destruction, and the undying flames . . ._ "

"What's Rom saying?" Compa asks.

"Is that some kind of new spell?" IF asks.

"Who cares what it is? Go Rom, you got this!" Ram screams.

"Rom . . ." Blanc says.

" _. . . Inherit me the strength, grant me the power, to slay this evil that forsaken its glory. Cast it aside and bring forth a new beauty!_ " My arms move to opposite sides, then goes to the front again. " _Solar Flare!_ "

Red magic circles surround the dragon, it roars as this happens, from its four sides as well as the top and the bottom, trapping it inside with nowhere to escape. There are no holes, like the perfect and impenetrable box. Then, all of a sudden, large balls that ranges from red to yellow forms from the magic circles and disperses, causing a large explosion big enough to blow a strong wind that rivals that of a tornado.

"Everyone, hold on to something!" Vert commands.

All of them must be grabbing something to keep them from blowing away, but it doesn't affect me. I'm able to watch the full view as the dragon gets reduced to nothing but ashes. After a few more moments, the bright light engulfing the room dims and the dragon is no longer there. Only the steaming, ashen ground is left.

"Wh-whoa . . . Rom, what was that?" I didn't know who's talking as they're all behind me. The thing is, I can't move. I only remain standing at the same spot, my body still after the whole thing.

"You did it Rom!" That's most definitely Ram's voice, though. That much I can tell.

"Rom? Are you okay?" That gentle voice. Nepgear?

My vision is starting to become blurry now, the lids of my eyes grows heavier and heavier. Finally, my body moves, but it isn't my doing. Then, something hard but rough scrapes the side of my cheeks. It's already getting tough to keep myself awake. Perhaps I'll just sleep. Yeah, that sounds nice.

"Rom!" Hearing the name of the little girl of the body I'm in is the last thing I hear before darkness engulfs me.

~0~0~0~

-Nepstation-

Neptune: Nepstation! Once again, I'm your host, Neptune! And today I'm with . . .

Nepgear: Hello everyone.

Neptune: As you can clearly see, Zidawn here decided to have my 'lil sis here to help me with the preview. So, without further ado, let's get the preview started! Nep Jr.! I'm counting on you on this.

Nepgear: Y-yes! I'll do my best! Ahem, The CPUs and the rest of the party managed to take the ancient dragon down and are now on their way to their main goal: the picnic! What other things await them beyond the cave? What was that magic Rom casted? Will she be able to wake up? Tune in next time, in Lunadimension Neptunia! " _Party Crashers"_. We hope to see you again in the next chapter.

Neptune: All right, folks. That'll be it for today. See you again!

Nepgear: Have a nice day!

Neptune: Aaannd that's a wrap! Good job Nep Jr. I knew ya had it in ya.

Nepgear: Aw, sis. Thanks.

Zidawn: Hey you two. Are you finished with the recording?

Neptune: All done lickity split!

Nepgear: Huh? Wait, aren't you supposed to be at the camera?

Zidawn: Was I? O-oh shoot! I was!

Neptune: How can you be so irresponsible? Even I can remember to man my own station.

Zidawn: Cut me some slack, Neptune. I only got about a week of vacation or less. Can you even blame me for forgetting?

Nepgear: Well, I guess that's true. I rarely see you in the studio.

Zidawn: All right. I'll give you girls a treat to make it up to you, is that okay with you? Now, what would you like?

Neptune: Pudding! Mountains of them!

Zidawn: Need I even ask her . . .? Ahem, how about you, Nepgear?

Nepgear: Um, a parfait sounds nice. Can I have that?

Zidawn: A parfait, huh? Sure! I'll have some as well. Let's see, there's a parfait store near the store where Neptune always buy pudding from. Let's head there. Oh, it's in the park, by the way.

Neptune: Whoo, let's go already!

Nepgear: Sis, stop pulling!

Zidawn: Oh, almost forgot to turn off the camera. Hm . . . I guess I can have a few words. Thanks for following through my story guys. I think I'm starting to improve my writing. I'm not completely sure, but it's progress. Well, until next time.


	19. Party Crashers

**Chapter 19**

 _Party Crashers_

"What . . . happened here?" Uni asks while inspecting a large portion of the ground covered in dark ashes. "Did someone put a fire here or something?

"Beats me," I say. "It seems impossible to make a fire this large. Saying that it's a wild forest fire here is also an understatement. But this doesn't look like something a normal fire can do. If anything, I'd say someone casted a fire spell here or something. Do have any ideas who did this?"

"Why are you asking me? Though, the only person I can think of is IF, since she has that flame spell. But even I'm sure she doesn't have enough power to burn the whole area like this." She points at the walls as well that are also covered in ashes.

"Do you think Neptune and the others passed through here already?" I ask, she shrugs.

"I hope they did. Maybe they met the culprit and fought him here or something? If it's that Ragnor guy again, then that must mean they're nearby. He must be the cause of all this." Nope, not him, I can tell that much. He's affinity is land. It's impossible for him to have any fire spells. Heck, he doesn't even know how to cast any spells to begin with. "We're almost at the picnic spot by the riverbank. We should hurry."

"No need to rush, Uni. Even if they were caught into something, they should be more than capable enough to handle it. You should know that more than I do, don't you?"

"Of, of course I do! I just want to get there and sit on the bench already, that's all!"

It ticks my head whenever she goes like this, but I do my best to ignore it. But I'm sure the reason she's like this is because she's getting anxious. She said she had a sister, so she must be worried if anything happened to her. That's something siblings usually are like, aren't they? She has her hands balled up into fists, slightly shaking while looking up ahead of the path.

"I don't want to lose her again . . ." She mumbles.

Again? She already lost her? Is it a couple of times or just once? In any case, that just means we need to get going. I get close to her back and place a hand on her shoulder. She gets tense when I placed it.

"C'mon," I say, "let's get going. I'm sure you'd want to see your sis again. Well, we're nearing it, right? So, the faster we go, the better."

She pouts as she says, "I-I know that already! Geez . . ."

But deep down, my chest did churn just thinking if they got out of here okay or if they manage to reach the destination safely.

~0~0~0~

"All done!" Neptune said as she placed the last red and white checkered sheet on the riverbank right next to a tree. She dived to the sheet as though the swimming competition began and lay there flat without a care in the world.

On the opposite side of where she was, Compa, IF, Nepgear, and Noire were sitting and chatting at the only two oak benches facing each other there with a long table with the same material in between. The table was filled with sandwiches Compa prepared, silverware, paper plates, as well as paper cups. They were surrounded with a bunch of different kinds of fruit trees, but not as much as the forest they went through before entering the cave. Other than the green grass, there were plenty of daisies and snapdragons bunched up near the exit of the cave they went out from not too long ago. The breeze was also as gentle as a mother's touch and was surprisingly cold since the sun isn't out. The clouds were obscuring it so they could enjoy the whole picnic without worries of getting sunburnt.

Vert, on the other hand, was washing apples, mangoes, blueberries, strawberries, and also tangerines with the water on the river. She could do this because she knows how clean the water is. It's clear as a crystal, radiant enough to mesmerize even the toughest of critics, and filled with many trout, carps and even catfishes. There were algae covering some of the larger rocks under the river water while the smaller ones were free from them. With a satisfied smile, the Leanbox CPU continued to rinse the fruits until the last one.

Below a tree near, almost right next to the picnic table the nurse-in-training, Guild member, and the CPU and Candidate from different nations were sitting, was a girl who was lying on another clean checkered sheet but with a blue and white color instead. She had her small eyes closed; her cap was resting beside her leaving her short brown hair exposed. Her body remained limp and not a single muscle moved, not even an inch. To Ram, it was her duty as her sister to look after her. She didn't have any reason to play without her somewhat older twin sister. She sat there beside her in seiza, but instead of a frown her face was wearing a relaxed smile. It was something that even Neptune got flabbergasted while lying at her comfy blanket and staring at the two Loweean twins.

"Ram," Compa said. "You don't have to worry about your sister. We'll keep watch of her. So, you can go ahead and play around. You must be getting bored just sitting there doing nothing."

But to Compa's surprise, Ram shook her head, her smile never leaving her. "I'm gonna surprise her when she wakes up!"

Nepgear chuckles. "Why don't you make her a flower crown? That way, you can gift her something when she wakes up?" Ram opened her mouth, her eyes sparkling as though she found treasure in a forgotten temple.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Ram asked.

"I'm sure she'll love it. Here, why don't we head to those flowers over there and make some? I can teach you how. I do have some knowledge how to make some." Ram latched onto Nepgear's arm, causing her to stumble from her seat and forced to stand to keep herself from falling over. "All right, calm down." With that, they went to the rows of flowers near the cave and sat to start working on the crowns. It took a good while before Ram got the hang of making some flower crowns herself. Nepgear was just there to guide her.

"There they go, living in their own world," IF said, tapping her fingers on the table. "Man, how long are those two gonna keep us waiting?"

"Maybe they found a bunny and chased after it?" Compa said.

"I don't know about that guy, but Uni? I don't think she'll even think twice about chasing a bunny when she has somewhere, she needs to go to."

"I agree," Noire said. "Uni's not stupid. But seriously though, what's taking her so long?"

"That is weird." Compa placed a finger to her chin.

"Speaking of weird," IF said. "Compa, is something going on with you today? You seem out of it. In fact, the others were telling me all about it. They asked if I knew, and of course I didn't. So, I want you to tell me straight. Is there something wrong?"

"I must admit," Noire said. "You've been trying to avoid talking about that new guy. Did he do something terrible to you?"

"N-no, it's not like that at all!" Compa waved both her hands in front of her. "It's just . . . it's just . . ."

"It's just what?" IF asked, her fingers have stopped tapping the table. "If it's something you can't talk to us about, you don't have to. We're your friends, and we're just worried. I told you this before, but I'm going to say it again. If there's anything bothering you, don't hesitate to tell us."

"Y-yeah!" Noire said. "We're friends and you know it."

Compa lowered her head, her hands rested on her thighs crumpled into a ball and tightened. She wants to tell them, but at the same time, she _can't_ tell them. She promised. And also decided to let Maki be the one to tell them instead when the time is right. Once he's done that, then she can have Nep-Nep help her out. The withering tree, the snapping sound, rotting apples, but the one thing she didn't want to see again was the tears pouring on his face after he did _that_.

"Thanks, Iffy." Compa couldn't look into any of their eyes. "But I just . . . can't, okay? I know I'm keeping you all in the dark, and I'd totally tell you everything. But right now, I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry."

IF only smiled, didn't press any further, and rested her right arm on the table and her cheek on her fist. "It's all right. Take your time. Just tell us once you're ready."

After a little while of silence after their conversation, Compa looked up and stood from her seat. This made Noire and IF get taken aback. "I'll go and make the barbecue sauce," she said. And with that, she left the two sitting on the table and grabbed one of the large red bags, took out what she needed, and left to set up the grill near the tree where Neptune was lying at. IF and Noire continued to watch her, making small talks with the Planeptunian CPU, and started opening (trying to anyway) a bottle of ketchup.

"Do you know anything about him?" Noire suddenly asked IF.

IF fixed her eyes on the other side of the river instead of making eye contact when she answered, "Worked with him once, before I got this." She raised her left arm on a splint that's being supported with a strap around her neck.

"What's he like though?"

"Let's see . . . he's reckless, that's one thing. He literally kicked a wolf on the jaw. If that doesn't make him reckless, then I don't know what is." She looked at Noire. "He even poured a glass of Gravner on a bastard stirring up some trouble. But other than that, I'm not quite sure myself . . ."

"Ugh . . ."

The two immediately turned their attention to the source of the sound the moment it hit their ears. A movement, they saw it clearly, and now the girl was starting to open her eyes underneath the slight shade of the tree.

~0~0~0~

I'm back here again. The pure whiteness of nothingness, except for the small girl in front of me with a shy smile on her face. The way she does it makes me want to protect her from any danger no matter what the cost.

"Hello again, miss."

"This again?" I crouch in front of her to level our heights. "I already told you. Call me Celes."

"Mhm," she nods.

It's still takes some time of getting used to how reserved she is. She's nothing like my devil of a little sister. And because of that, I'm at lost for words with her. It's not to say that it's that much of a problem, but it does get irritating if I can't do it properly. Just like how my mother would say it, "You must show to all the thick-headed nobles that a princess is on a great level of elegance." Which was something my little sister could never come to understand. But as her older sister, I needed to do it.

"Are you tired?" Rom asks.

"Can't say I'm not. I haven't casted that spell in a long time. So, I got worried if it wasn't enough when I had the chance to do so. Thankfully, it did. But now, I'm out of magic energy." And with some annoying side-effects at that. If the person expended too much that the caster can handle, the head starts to bash, my mentor said. Not the most wonderful feeling. Good thing that's not happening to me right now.

"I wish I can join the picnic." Rom looks at me, but seems to be looking somewhere further.

"I'm sorry. I'm taking away one of your precious time together with your friends."

She shakes her head. "It's okay."

A heavy feeling weighs on my chest. Seeing her like this makes me rip myself off of her body. It can't stay like this. There must be some way to separate us, there has to be. Even if it takes me a long time, I won't stop until I find a way.

But just as I'm thinking about that, something pops up in my mind. It's the thing that should help me when danger arises again: HDD. I have to know how it works.

"Rom?" I ask. She snaps from her own world and looks at me this time. "Can you tell me how to access HDD? I only figured out how to get your weapon out, but not your spells or HDD." It'll be better for me since I can actually contribute to the fights and not just slow them down. But in order for that to happen, this step is going to be necessary.

"It's not that hard," she begins. "You just have to . . ."

"What did you say?"

But then I realized, I couldn't move my body at all. Rom is still moving her mouth, but no sound is coming out of it. Then, she starts to fade into the whiteness. I try to call out, but not even my own voice is making anything. _Rom! What did you say?_ It's useless. She can't hear me, I can't hear her, and now she's fading into white more and more. _It can't end like this yet! It just can't!_

My second chance to know how to transform into her HDD goes down the drain just like that. And now, my eyes slowly open and the scenery before me changes from complete white to the blue sky with a large tree obscuring most of it with its green leaves. The wind caresses my hair and the leaves, making a _whoosh_ and leaving me speechless. But not because of the tree nor the sky, but because I lost contact with Rom once again. "Rom!" is the word I hear after I placed one of my hands in front as if trying to reach something far in the sky. But when I turn my head to the source, however, it was only IF with her body hunching over a wooden table.

"Where . . . am I?" I finally say. If I remember correctly, we were still at the cave. Although right now, instead of the dim cave, it is a bright but no sun outdoors filled with grass. Not only that, but the sound of rushing water also catches in my ears.

"We're here at the picnic spot," Noire says. "How are you feeling?"

Instead of answering her, I sit upright on the sheet I was lying on, still looking at the two girls at the table. Then, I shift my gaze in different directions. Compa is with Neptune doing something with the barbecue set, Nepgear is with Ram picking fiddling their hands on some flowers, Vert is by the river with a bunch of fruits, the two are still at the table of course, but there's one person missing from the group.

"Where's Blanc?" I ask. The first thing that crosses my mind is for her to see me wake up before anyone else, but she's not here at all.

IF gives out a nervous laugh. "Your big sis is over there reading a book." She points at another tree somewhere farther from the rest of us. Just as she said, she's sitting at the base of the tree, her back leaning on the trunk, with a book in hand, silently reading as though there's nothing else that's more important to her.

I frown.

Either she's contented that her sister is all right, or that she's starting to get suspicious of me. If anything, really, I'm sure it's the latter. But even then, I'm still not one hundred sure on that. I don't know what's going on her head, so it might be something else completely for all I know.

"Don't worry about it," IF says. She must have noticed me giving Blanc a stare. "She's just worried about you, but doesn't know what to do."

I hope she's right. Guess there's nothing I can do but wait it out.

Some more time passes and Ram gives me a flower crown. It's not the best kind, but I can tell how much she worked hard on this. The flowers are locked in place nicely and the twigs that was holding them together (they're a bit larger than twigs, but you get the idea) in a ring doesn't have this weird itch when you put it on. So, I wear it to show how much I appreciated the effort she given this to. I'm sure Rom is also pleased from this.

"Rom," Blanc's voice comes from behind me, tensing up my body but eases out almost immediately. She has her same monotone voice when she spoke. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Mhm," I nod.

The edges of her straight-lined mouth curved upwards. I find myself doing this myself when she did. She didn't ask anything about the spell I casted earlier. It's good because I don't have to go through a hard interrogation session, but also not good because I'm still betraying her. Why must things be hard like this? On one thing, you're safe, but guilt arises, and on the other end, you get a weight off your shoulder, but with a price.

"Hey, hey," Ram pokes my cheek; I turn to her. "What was that thing you did back there? It was so cool! You gotta teach me!" It's not something a little girl like her can learn overnight. But then again, she won't be able to learn it anyway even then. It's a sacred spell only my bloodline knew. And only ones with our blood can cast it.

"That? W-well, it's um . . ." I try to find the words, but nothing comes up. If I told her that it's impossible, she might go like 'then how come you can do it?' and I don't want that. But if I stay silent like this for a while longer, then they'll raise suspicion. What to do . . .

"That's enough, Ram." I got saved, but it's from Blanc surprisingly. "She's still tired from earlier. You can go and ask her once she's good." Thanks Blanc. You're a lifesaver!

"Aww." Ram looks at me for a bit, blinks, and then smiles. "Okay! But promise to tell me once you do!" I nod to escape the topic for now, but then I'll have to deal with explaining to her that she can't do it at all, no matter how much understanding or practice she gets.

"Why don't you enjoy yourself?" IF says to me. "We're still on our picnic. You don't want to stay idle there for the rest of the trip, do you?" Of course, I don't. That'll beat the purpose then.

I get up, do a few basic stretches, and plop to the only free seat from where IF, Noire, and Nepgear was sitting. They all giggle when I did that. "I've finished rinsing all the fresh fruits," Vert declares, putting all of the baskets of fruits she held proudly on the table. I grab a strawberry and throw it into my mouth. And all at once, the sourness of the strawberry fills my mouth. It's the good kind, even.

"How are the barbecues going?" Nepgear says to Compa and Neptune at the grill.

"We're about to crack open the first chunk o' meat!" Neptune declares, beating a hand to her chest. Once Compa did place the first barbecue on the grill, smoke instantly rushes out and fills the air around.

Everything is peaceful. Nothing much is going on, the sound of the occasional Blue Jays chirping by, the sound of rushing water, it's a really good picnic so far.

This reminds me. This is actually the first time I get to have a picnic with people I'm not exactly related with. Although, the last picnic I had Maki was there with us. Usually, whenever we have a family picnic, we pretty much never bring a single butler or maid to the trip. We had to do everything ourselves, from setting up to cooking the food, and I have to be honest, I kind of miss mother's fried squid and father's tender steak. Maki was an exception though. Both my parents were very insisting in bringing him along. Even my little sister who never liked the idea of bringing anyone else to our picnic (not even our other relatives) but didn't raise as much of a finger when his name was brought up.

"Having fun with your picnic?" A familiar voice resonates in my ears. And that goes for the others as well, but was it familiar to them I didn't know. I turn my head to the source, everyone else did as well. There she was, sitting on top of the tree I slept underneath.

"Excuse me, um, but who might you be?" Nepgear asks.

"Are you another DLC character? Or are you one of those NPCs who'll give us useless information for no reason at all?" Neptune's nonsense causes me to form a bead of sweat on my forehead.

The woman in question chuckles. "Neither of those . . . whatever they are." She then looks at me, her clear emerald eyes locking onto mine as though she's trying to pierce through my soul. "We meet again."

"Sylvie . . ." I whisper. Without a doubt, it's the same person from that night.

"Have you met her before?" I nod to Noire's question.

She's the one who gave me that strange vial that stopped my headache. But what is she doing here this time? Is she here to get something back from what she gave me? Could be, but I'm not sure if that's only the case.

"Who are you and why are you here?" IF demands.

Sylvie jumps down from the tree and lands to the side of the table near IF and Noire are. She fixes her hair, revealing her slightly pointed ears. _A half-elf?_ I think.

"My apologies to the CPUs and their friends . . ." she flashes a grin in our direction as she says that. Noire frowns and IF straightens her back. Neptune and Compa joins in, not forgetting to make sure the grill doesn't start a fire or burn the meat, and stand behind Nepgear's side. The air around her seems like we're inside her domain, as though we're the one's trespassing her territory. IF has her gun out under the table while making sure Sylvie doesn't see it.

"Let me properly introduce myself then," she starts. "I am the Silver Synthesist, Sylvie Silverstem." She raises the side of her skirt as she bows.

"Silver Synthesist?" IF asks.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know what it's supposed to mean." She takes out five of the same vials containing the blue liquid from a small pouch hanging on her right thigh and displays them all on the table for everyone to see. "I make potions, you see. Mix in some herbs and whatnot, you know the works." Except I didn't know how.

"What do you want from us?" Nepgear asks, her hand now on her chest.

"All _I_ want is for all of you to listen. Especially that one over there with the C headband." She points at Compa. "I'm sure you're the one who's the most curious of the group."

"Wh-what? Me?"

"That's right. I know you want to know what 'it' is." Is she talking about 'that' . . .?

Out of nowhere, she was right beside Compa. Nobody moved as she whispered something to her ears. Compa perks up after she finished. Then she was back where she was, near IF and Noire. It all happened so fast that no one was able to process what just happened. Sylvie's grin becomes larger from this.

"So?" she says. "Do you want to know?"

"I, I do, but . . ." Compa trails off and looks around us like we're about to pounce on her or something.

"Compa, what did she say to you?" IF asks. I'm quite curious myself. Has she told her about what 'it' is yet? Although, from what she said, it doesn't seem likely yet. But then there's the next question. How does she know what 'it' is? No one else should know about it other than Maki and me. So, how?

"It's . . . "

"Compa, please. What is it?" Compa looks away and doesn't answer. "Compa!"

"Sylvie was it?" Blanc approaches her with her arms crossed and talks with her same monotone. "Are you one of Compa's friends or enemies? Depending on your answer, I might reconsider pulling out my hammer."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Sylvie laughs the same way I laugh whenever I don't find anything funny from what high and mighty noble said.

"What is it going to be?"

Sylvie places a finger on her chin and tilts her head, her smile now showing her small but white teeth. "Friends? Oh no, I just met her today, you see. And that goes for the rest of you as well. And if I'm foe, then the answer is simple. It'll depend on you though. I have no control over that."

"Stop messing with us and tell us already!" Blanc pulls her hammer out, her face wrinkling and teeth gritting.

"Now, now, no need for that. I'll tell you." She coughs before continuing. "I'm a friend of the Sword Dancer. There's your answer. Happy now?"

"Sword Dancer my ass! The hell's that supposed to be!?"

Sword Dancer . . . that's Maki's title. But still, is she really one of his friends? Maki told me he never had one. But then again, whenever I did bring that topic up, he would shut it down almost immediately. Maybe she is telling the truth? But can I really trust her? She did help get rid of my headache.

"Isn't that what Maki told us who he is?" Nepgear asks.

"Did he?" Neptune asks. "I don't remember him saying anything about dancing. Does he even dance at all?"

"Are you certain, Nepgear?" Vert asks. "I haven't met him yet, so I do not know for sure."

"Ooh, I'd like to see him dance!" Ram yells.

"Now that you mention it." IF places back the gun she was holding where she got it from. "I do remember him saying that he's a dancer. But that was a few days ago, so I can't say for sure. Are you really one of Maki's friends?"

"Pre~cise~ly~" Sylvie says. "What about it, Compa? Think I should say it out loud?"

"N-no, don't!" Compa turns her gaze to the silver-haired woman as she stepped forward, both of her hands balled up into fists on her chest.

"Why are you so against it?" IF asks Compa.

"That's because . . ." Her arms drop as she looks down on the table.

If only Maki was here to make it easier to understand. I'm starting to lose whatever Sylvie is trying to say to us. Compa here doesn't seem very comfortable at this situation. And why is that? I place my elbows on the table and rest my chin on my fingers. There must be something with her that she finds hard to tell everyone. But could it be?

"Sylvie? Is that you?"

All at once, every single one of us, including Sylvie, shifted our view towards the exit of the cave where we came from.

~0~0~0~

-Nepstation-

Neptune: You're watching Nepstation! I'm here today with . . .

Blanc: Blanc here. Hope everyone is enjoying reading a good book. I personally had to use my precious reading time just to get here and get this done.

Neptune: Aww~ Don't be like that, Blanc. Anyway, there's no preview today, but Zidawn here left us a note! Blanc, would you please do the honor?

Blanc: Can't you read it instead?

Neptune: No way! I can't read any boring note. I might sleep while reading it too! Since you're also boring, it would be better if you read it instead of me.

Blanc: . . . . .

Neptune: O-oh whoops, I just remembered that my pudding should be cold enough now.

Blanc: *Sigh* Anyway . . . "From here on out, I'm not sure if I can update chapters consistently like this. Of course, I'll still update, but not as frequent like the past couple of days. Things are busy, and school is about to start again. But other than that, thanks for reading Lunadimension Neptunia up until now. Also, that name isn't just for show, or just to make the title different, there's a reason behind it, but it doesn't matter right now.

Neptune: *Door crashes* See you all in the next chapter!


	20. Clashing Tides

**Chapter 20**

 _Clashing Tides_

"Looks like our special guest has arrived," the girl with the silver hair says, pointing a finger to the side near her face, tilting her head while forming a smile and winks.

"Are you really Sylvie?" I ask.

"Of course, I am, _Maki_ ~" she giggles as she supports herself with an arm on the table.

This can't be true, right? She's . . . she's not supposed to be here! This must be some kind of trick. Yeah, that's it. She's just some imposter who's trying to fool me. Well, I won't fall for that. Whoever she is, she's going to pay for imposing Sylvie.

"You're not her."

"How can you tell? It's me all right. If you're not convinced, then ask me any questions regarding us," she puts on a smirk as she says. She's very confident that she can answer my questions easily, huh? One of my hands curls up into a ball, squeezing. I'm not about to let her toy around with me, especially if she thinks that she's the real Sylvie.

But a question only Sylvie and I would know? That's not going to be easy to find. I don't remember the last time I've seen her, but to ask something only we would know . . . what could it be? I look around. Maybe there's something around here that can remind me what things we did together. Trees, no. River, no. The bunches of flowers? Nah, that's someone else. What should I ask? The more I try to find something from around here, the less likely it is for me to find the right question, if such a thing does exist.

However, one thing I did notice is that none of the people I recently met are saying a single word about this, not even a single whisper. Not even Neptune, who spills utter randomness at times, is keeping quiet and continues to stare at me and this "girl" who claims that she's Sylvie.

Oh, but there _is_ something I can ask though!

It popped in my mind when three sparrows, two large ones and two small ones, flew by overhead from us. As the question swirls around my mind, I look directly into her eyes. I'm not completely sure about this, but it's worth a shot anyway. If what she claims is actually true, then she should be able to answer this with no worries.

"Find any questions?" 'Sylvie' asks, placing a finger on her chin.

"Yeah, I've got one." Here it goes. Time to see whether she's really Sylvie or not. With a deep breath, I ask, "What are my parent's names?" A dumb question? Perhaps, but it's better than nothing. Plus, Sylvie knows this. She _should_ know it. After all, I told her about it. If she doesn't answer this, then I know for sure that that person is not Sylvie in the slightest.

She doesn't speak and the grin on her face turns into a frown. _Thought so_ , I think. She removes her hand on the table and frowns, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"That's . . . I . . . I don't know."

"See? You're not Sylvie. I told her their names when we were still kids, and since you don't know, you're _not_ her. Now will you stop the act already? I'm not in the mood to play your silly games."

"I'm telling you I am!" She slams the table that made IF and Noire both grunt but still didn't utter a word.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am!"

"You're still going to go on about that? Look, I don't know who you are and what you're doing here, but if you don't tell me who you really are, then I won't play this any nicer than I am already."

"That was a long time ago! How am I supposed to remember from when we were kids?"

"Oh, but you should know."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Easy. Sylvie kept on mentioning their names whenever we meet. She was so eager to know about the people who raised me. She had a reason why, but I'm not going to tell it to an imposter."

"D-did I?" She takes a step back. "How could I—"

"We done here now? If so, then please leave. Can't you see you're disturbing these people's outing?"

"Hmph. All right, but I'm not leaving."

Seriously? Even after all of that, she's still won't leave?

Without saying anything, she takes out a small bottle with lime-colored liquid inside it from a small pouch strapped around her thigh and takes out the cork, pouring all its content to the grass behind her. Once the last drop hits the grass, a large vine, with the size of an oak log, pops out from the same spot and curves itself into some kind of folding chair at a beach. She sits on it, placing one leg on top of another, still having her arms crossed, and lean back on the new "chair" she made for herself.

 _She's not going to listen to a single word I'm going to say, is she?_ I think to myself. My shoulders drop, I rub my temples. This is going nowhere. Whoever this person is, she's definitely not Sylvie. That, I am certain.

"Um, are you okay, Maki?" Nepgear asks.

"The fact that my head hasn't exploded yet from all of that, yeah, I think I am."

"Hey, Maki," Uni tugs on my sleeve, "who is she?"

"Dunno."

"But she seems like she knows you though. Are you sure there's nothing between you two?"

"Why d'you ask?"

"I-it's nothing! J-just forget I even asked!" She pouts and turns her face away from me. This again? What's gotten into her all of a sudden? It's hard to tell whether she's acting this way because of curiosity or if she's like this all the time. Either way, it's confusing.

"Uni!" A girl that has the same black hair, red eyes, and skin color as Uni calls out from the right side of the table where I stood and is facing on the opposite side of IF. "Where've you been? I thought you told me you were just going to be quick? Did something happen along the way? And why were you with him?"

"H-huh? W-well, that's 'cause h-he . . ." she looks at me, "he stalled me after pulling me out of an alleyway."

"Alleyway!?" Uni's look-alike screeches. "What did you do to my sister!?"

"Yeah, what did you do?" the girl who claimed that she's Sylvie asks.

"I didn't do anything! And also, can it woman." But even after I said that, I can feel that they're trying to pierce some vicious gaze at me. I look at Compa, but she turns her head away from me, trying to whistle but coming out as blowing her mouth instead.

"U-um, sis, I think you're getting the wrong idea," Uni says.

"How so?"

"He just wanted to know what I was doing there. I didn't want to, you know? But he said he'd keep me in custody until I give him an answer . . ."

"What!?"

Uni, please, don't make this worse than it already is. How am I supposed to introduce myself to the new people here properly if their first impressions on me are already soiled?

"Uni," I place a hand on her shoulder, "please stop talking. You'll only make it worse."

"Make what worse? What do you mean?" I point at her sister, who's entire body and eyes already flaring up with strong flames that can yield even the bravest of soldiers. "Oh . . ."

Before I can even try to explain that it's just a misunderstanding, Uni's sister pulls out a rapier out of thin air and jabs at me. I sidestep and grab hold of her wrist, locking it in place to prevent her from doing anything that can create holes on my coat. Or possibly my skin for that matter.

"Calm down," I say, giving half of my attention to her hand with the rapier.

"I don't know what you did to her, but you'll pay dearly for it." I feel like this happened before. When did it happen again? Nope, can't remember.

"Listen to me. I'm didn't do anything to her." Now this really feel like déjà vu. What are the odds?

"Shut up you big pervert!" All right, now that draws the line.

She's not going to stop no matter what I do, is she? Not to mention the same stubbornness when it comes to explanations just like when Neptune thought it was me who injured IF. I didn't exactly want to resort to this, but she leaves me no choice. If she won't listen to me, then I'll just have to force her to. Hope it works though.

While she continues to push her rapier towards my torso, I take that chance to loosen my grip on her a bit to cause her to stumble and get me closer to her ear. Then I with a soft whisper, I tell her, "I know your secret."

It somehow worked since her face turned to a shade of red and puts a distance between us.

"H-how much do you know?" she asks.

In all honesty, I thought she'd question me something if I really did know it, but this works too. I'm going to have to keep this up, so I showed her my 'smile' that made her face pale like the blood inside her drained out.

I lean forward to her ear again, "All of it."

She drops to her knees, the corners of her eyes are starting to release water, but she it doesn't drop. I may have gone too far, but I'll take it than getting whacked with a rapier. I was also expecting that the others will react violently towards me when I did this to this girl, but they didn't show anything like that at all. In fact, Neptune looks like she's in the verge of bursting, while Blanc was covering her mouth and making small giggles, and the blond woman just chuckled. Uni only sighed and the others did an awkward laugh.

"It's all right, sis," Uni says. "It's not that much of a big deal."

"Not a big deal? It's a huge deal! Ugh, I can't take this anymore. I just want to crawl into a hole." Guess I did go too far. But there's no turning back now.

In the midst of all her noisiness, the blond woman stands from her seat and approaches me. The way her white skirt with golden linings follows rhythmically like the Princess' gains my full attention. Her walk is dignified with steady steps, all the while keeping both her hands in front of her with one palm on top of the other. She bows and beams a genuine smile at my direction. I've never seen a smile so bright as hers in a long while.

"You must be the new person Nepgear referred to." She places a hand on top of her chest. "I am Vert. That person you broke down just now is Noire, Uni's older sibling. It is a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine." I place hand on my chest and bow the same way I did with the Princess. "I do not wish to sound rude, but I take it that you are the CPU of Leanbox?"

"Oh my, such manners. Yes, I am. How did you know?"

"I've done my research." Truth be told, Histoire told me the general looks of the other CPUs and their nations, but not their names. I just remembered that she mentioned Leanbox's CPU is blond hair since there's no other CPUs with the same hair color.

She moves her eyes to one side. _Is she looking at someone?_ Before I can even ask, she returns her gaze to me. _Perhaps it's just my imagination._

"May I ask your name?" she asks.

"Ah, right, my apologies." The way she speaks and the way she moves is similar to those nobles around the kingdom. Seeing that she was like them, it was enough to trigger my 'switch' whenever I had to entertain them especially during banquets. If it weren't for Leon to continuously remind me that they're still valuable assets to the kingdom, then I wouldn't even waste a single spit on them. But I didn't and had to put up with it.

In her case, however, it's different. Unlike those pesky nobles, she's a lot more genuine, at least that's how I see it. Too bad I can only show her my 'smile' that's nothing like hers.

"I am Maki." Somehow, for some reason, it's like they're all trying to pierce through me. But one thing that did pop me a vain is the way the self-proclaimed 'Sylvie' is smirking as though she knows it's a sure win on a bet. I lightly cough this time around to keep my composure and make an effort to ignore her. To an extent, it works. "The Sword Dancer."

It's been a while since I managed to mention my title. With all the things here, it's becoming more and more difficult to keep up, but I manage to remember it this time around. My eyebrows did, however, raised from how petrified everyone is and not a single muscle moving.

Then they look at each other.

"See? What did I tell you?" the silver-haired girl says with a chuckle.

"What are you going on about?" I ask. "What did you tell them? Answer me!" My teeth grit. What did she tell them anyway? Was it something terrible or was it something about me? It's not making any sense anymore.

"Maki," Nepgear says. "That girl over there, she is Sylvie."

"Huh? What are you talking about? She's not Sylvie. There's nothing else that can prove that she really is."

"She said she's the so-called 'Silver Synthesist'. Does that ring any bell?" Noire says as she stands up with her eyes as stern as the leader of a pack of wolves. But even if she tells me that, there's no way that can convince me.

"That's nice. She must've really done her research then," I say.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, that's Sylvie or whatever, and you know it!" Blanc smashes the table, causing a loud _bang_ that made some of the birds resting on the trees to disperse.

"Well _I_ know that's not true. There's no way in Lluna she's the real Sylvie and that's that. She's just some imposter. And there's nothing she or any of you can make me think otherwise. Also!" I slam my hands on the table, my eyes locked on to the very person they claim as Sylvie. "If Sylvie really _was_ here, then why did she wait so long to see me? And what about the other two? If she's here, then shouldn't they be with her as well?

"Then you come here, out of nowhere and for any reason at all, and tell me that you're her? Really now? There's just no freaking way that you're—"

*Whack*

In that very moment, all of a sudden, the burning sensation on the skin of my cheeks grow at a fast rate. I rub at the swollen part. It's beating hard and continues to sting whenever I rub my hand on it. It wasn't fatal, but it was enough to petrify me. _What just happened . . .?_

"Idiot . . ." The silver-haired girl wasn't sitting on her seat anymore. No, she's right in front of me, her arm still raised, and her face downcast. Her teeth were scraping with an unpleasant sound. "If you don't believe me, then fine. I don't care. Want me gone? Sure, I'm going. I don't want to see your ugly face again anyway!" After her remark, she storms off to the other direction.

I couldn't say anything. It happened so suddenly that it only processed to me just now. Is it because of what she did? Or is it from what she said? No, they wouldn't have even fazed me. She didn't have her gloves on when she did that. It was her bare hand that made this cheek ache.

"Maki . . . does your cheek hurt?" Compa says, her forehead wrinkling and her hands clasped with one another. Her beaming smile wasn't present on her.

I didn't answer for a while. Instead, I continue to stare at the distance.

"I'm . . . going to wash my face real quick."

Compa nods, a light smile on her face. "All right. I'll be at the grill if you need me."

I nod and head my way to the river. My reflection lays there, distorted from the movement of the water. I remove my eyepatch then splash my face with water, and what I saw in the water next is a face of a man soaked in water. However, his teeth were out. My fist hits the soft grass and the hard soil underneath it.

"Damn it . . . Damn it!"

My left gray eye has some of 'it' on it, glowing ever so dim. Just continuing to look at it makes me want to bring all of the salad I ate back up.

"Damn it. She really was . . ." And at that moment, I knew it. There's no mistaking it.

She really was Syvlie.

~0~0~0~

-Nepstation-

Neptune: You're watching Nepstation! Live at the station, and hosting it is yours truly! Today we're here with . . .

Vert: Greetings everyone.

Neptune: Man, now everyone finally met our strange red hare! And with that, the story will take a break from the main events.

Vert: That may be true. It would be nice to get to know him better. And perhaps I can bribe him to become my little brother! Ah, I cannot wait. I heard he's quite fond of tea. It's perfect. I am quite the tea connoisseur myself.

Neptune: Aside from Vert's plans of bribing, let's get on to the preview!

Vert: Agreed. Ahem. Sylvie finally left the whole group after a strange encounter after Maki made her angry with him.

Neptune: Now that I think about it, she didn't tell us what she was going to tell us.

Vert: That is true. And especially since Compa somehow is related to it. But after the whole incident, what will become of the whole group? Will Compa tell us what's been swirling around her mind? Can I actually bribe him to become my little sibling?

Neptune: Uhhh, I don't think that last part is going to happen.

Vert: Nonsense! With enough love and my breasts, there is no man that can resist my offer. Oh, I cannot wait.

Neptune: Well, whatever floats your boat. Find out next time! On Lunadimension Neptunia!

Vert: See you all in the next chapter.


	21. The Picnic: Part 1

**Chapter 21**

 _The Picnic: Part 1_

"Mr. Waiter~ Grab me some pudding, won't you?" Neptune says, rubbing her stomach as she set her utensils aside on her empty plastic plate.

"On it!" I ruffle through one of the giant bags, although it's not really necessary since it's mostly filled with pudding anyway. Some of them did had an N marked on them. Since there are multiple puddings in the bag anyway, I pick out the pudding that had the N on it, and then place it on the table in front of her.

"Haah~ Pudding, pudding!" She grabs a spoon, takes out a large chunk, and bite it down as soon as she did.

"Don't get too carried away now, or you'll end up getting some bits on your cheeks."

"Yeah, yeah."

After that whole event earlier, no one tried to bring up anything regarding what happened and just went ahead and eat the food. Of course, it took a while since Compa wasn't able to cook up all the barbecues quick enough. It bothered me when she continued to do it and haven't eaten herself. So, after finishing my portion, I went up to her.

"Let me take over for you," I tell her. "You must be getting hungry. Go on, otherwise Neptune might take everything and leave you with nothing but scraps."

Although, she continues to stare at me for a few seconds. Realizing this, I ask her again.

"A-ah! S-sure, thanks . . ." she says.

But after I take over, when she is about to leave for the table, she accidentally overlooks and trips on a rock that's about the size of someone's shoe. Luckily, I'm there to catch her before she falls over and possibly hurt herself.

"Are you all right? Be careful next time. We don't want the nurse to get injured herself now, would we?"

I try to laugh it off, but she rushes away instead. "I'm all right. Don't worry."

But I can't shake the feeling that there's something going on with her. It could just be nothing for all I know, however it's not easy for me to tell whether that's true or not. Then again, I'm not one to talk since that . . . thing happened.

So, here I am, at the grill still finishing up the last of the barbecue still soaked in the sauce. I've got to hand it to her though, the grill itself is not far off from the one I used to work with during that time with the princess' family. The grill itself is made up of stainless steel, a rectangular shape with the insides large and wide enough to fit large chunks of charcoal, and the metal bars still have some form of their original color even with the amount of times it's been used for cooking.

After placing the second to the last of the barbecue to the plate, I place down the last piece of the barbecue (there wasn't enough space to have it cook along with the last batch; I tried to make it work, but it just didn't.). It's quite nice like this honestly when there's just one single piece of meat on a stick sizzling away on the grill, making fewer crackling noises. It's wonderful in a way.

"Er, what's your name again? I think it was . . . it's Maki, right?"

Although, even after all of this, Sylvie suddenly arriving at Gamindustri, it just doesn't make any sense at all.

"Huh? Is he not listening? Hello, I'm trying to talk here! Geez . . ."

If she's here, then does that mean the others are here as well? That sounds like a possibility, but it's hard to say. She could be the only one here for all I know. Then again, Ragnor is here, as well as 'her'.

"Wha—? Hey, it's burning!"

No, no, that's impossible. Her case is different from those two. So, is she just some kind of ghost or maybe someone's just playing a trick on me? No, that's not it. Everyone else was able to see her just fine. So, what could be the reason? I was stupid to doubt her. Sure, she doesn't remember who my parents were, that's a given and I can't change it. Maybe I can apologize when I see her again? But what will I say to her? This is so tough . . .

"Maki, snap out of it!" The moment my trance stops, most of my view is obscured with Noire on the other side of the grill with her hands on her cheeks.

"H-huh?! What, what? Did something happen?"

"The barbecue."

"The barbecue? What about it?" She points at the barbecue engulfed in fire, spreading throughout the whole thing and even nearing the other end of the stick where I'm holding it. "Whoa, it's on fire!"

"Stop joking around and put it out!"

 _Easier said than done_ , I think of saying to her, but keep it to myself instead. I swing my head around, looking if there's something I can use to put it out with, then my eyes land upon the cup of water sitting on the nearby blanket. Without hesitating, I grab the cup and splash its contents all over the burning stick. Good thing it was small; otherwise it might have burnt the grass or worse.

I sigh in relief, but narrow my eyes to the now burnt barbecue so dark that it can put the obsidian's color to shame.

"No good." I toss it to a large plastic bag filled with the other trash such as thin wooden stems, paper plates, paper cups, and some other stuff. It's a shame, really. That barbecue stick and I were having some kind of connection with each other, but I guess it got its peace at least.

"Geez, that was really careless of you," Noire says. "IF told me that you were somewhat more reliable than Neptune, but I think I'm starting to have some doubts."

"Sorry, sorry, I was just thinking and didn't notice." Hold on, 'somewhat more reliable'?

"Whatever, that's not what I'm here for. I have some questions that need answering from you. Don't lie to me. You won't get away with an 'I don't know' as an answer."

"Okay . . .?" Whatever it is, it shouldn't be much of a problem. "All right, ask away."

"Good. Then I'll get straight to the point." She clears her throat and goes close to me. Once she does, she grabs me by the collar and pulls me so close that her eyes engulfed in flames almost catch my eyepatch on fire. "What were you doing in an alleyway with my sister?"

"Eh? What, look, that was just a misunderstanding."

"Hm . . . Positive?" I nod. "All right . . . next question. You didn't do anything weird with her, did you? If you did, I won't forgive you."

"All I did was ask her what she was doing. Nothing else. Well, I guess I did slam my hands on the wall behind her, but that's only to make sure she doesn't get away!"

"Wh-what?! Y-you did something s-so embarrassing like that?"

"What's so embarrassing about that?"

"Of, of course you can't just do that to anyone! That's almost the same as c-c-conf . . ." She keeps mumbling the last part. Can't say I know what she's saying, but the way she pokes her two index fingers together makes me want to know.

"Same as what?" I ask, placing a hand to my hip.

"Nothing! Forget what I said!" That's difficult to do unless I erase my own memories, but that's not even possible to begin with. "A-anyway, I won't forgive you if you do any funny business with her. Remember that."

"I'll keep that in mind." Guess it's no exaggeration when I say that both she and Uni really are sisters.

"So . . . I was thinking . . ."

"Hm? Yeah, go ahead."

"I, I was thinking that since you're a tiny bit familiar with Uni . . ." True, I guess? We haven't really talked much about each other. "M-maybe we can also be like, you know? . . ." That's tough to figure out though. I'm not a mind reader.

"Like what?"

"You know! That, that thing . . ." What thing? Can't she just spill it out instead of making me guess?

"Yes, yes, and what could it be?"

"C-come on, you should get it by now." Like I said, I'm not a mind reader, woman.

"Oho~ What do we have here? Is the lonely Noire actually trying to get some _friends_ for once?" Neptune gasps. "Or wait . . . are you trying to get something more than that? Like a b—"

". . . . . ."

"Aaahh! N-Neptune?! Wh-what are you talking about? I'm just showing my hospitality as a CPU to him. That's all."

"Hmmm~" Neptune whistles.

"Ah, geez! Look, there's no special meaning behind this, okay?" Noire says.

"Oh yeah? That right? Hey, Maki, what do you—"

I turn around and lean on the tree behind me, using my arm as a support on the tree as I rest my head on it. Taking in slow deep breaths, my other hand squeezes at the spot on the stomach area where the churning is.

"Hey, are you okay?" Noire asks.

"I'm . . ." It takes me a few quick seconds before answering. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You don't look so good. Why don't you have Compa check on you? Even if she's not an expert, she should at least be able to help."

I shake my head. "There's nothing she can do about this."

"What do you mean?" Her eyebrows raise.

"It just means it's nothing you should be concerned about. Don't worry, it's nothing fatal." At least, to my knowledge, nothing like that ever happened yet.

"Y-you're right, I guess. Actually, I'm here because I heard you don't have any place to stay."

"Yes, that's true. What about it?"

She places both of her hands to her hips, then flick one of her pigtails, and looks at me with a smile of someone who won the race. "Why don't you stay in Lastation? I'll make sure you get a proper place to stay as well as work. Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it? What do you say?" The way she said it sounded completely different from how she was speaking earlier. It's more refined and has a wall of unbreaking confidence.

Technically speaking, it's a very good deal. It's all those jobless people could ever hope for. However, even with that being said, it's not a necessity for me. Sure, she can get me a job to keep myself fed, but I'm sure the way things will work will be nothing like my days in Lluna.

One more thing, from what I've seen and experience (in Planeptune anyway), the city is a pretty vast place to live in. I'm not sure how people can tolerate the crowd of the place, but if I get to stay in a place in the city, I'm one hundred percent sure that I'll get claustrophobic. I guess that's one of the reasons why I'm living in a forest, but that's not the only reason why.

Still, it will be rude of me if I turn down her offer before even checking the place out. It won't hurt if I take a look of the whole Gamindustri.

"Well, what do you say?" Noire asks again.

"All right, but I want to check the place out before deciding to accept the offer. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Of course not. Why don't you come with us after the picnic is over?"

"Fine by me."

Neptune laughs slyly. "You better be careful there, Maki. She might try to convince you with her bod~ Oh, but you shouldn't be worried though. I'm pretty sure she's gonna suck at trying to seduce you anyway."

"H-hey! I won't suck at it . . ." Noire retorts.

"That's what you're worried about?" I ask.

"N-no! I'm not going to seduce you! You're not even my type of guy anyway!"

I pick up the empty cup I used to put the fire out and walk towards the water jug to fill it again. Even when I'm slightly far from them, they still say something that still reaches my ears. Although, Neptune's laughter is loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Good job, Noire. I'm sure he'll be happy to come with you after this."

"Sh-shut up!"

I shake my head. Noire didn't do anything wrong. It's just that the longer I talk to her, the more she reminds me of the Princess' younger sister. It might be stupid, I know, but it's not like I can just walk up to her and keep on talking with her like it's nothing.

That's just not possible.

The way she acts, the way she speaks, but most of all, the way her crimson eyes stare at me the same way the younger princess would, it's just too much.

* _Riiinggg_ *

I take out my phone with my other hand and turn it on. The moment the message displayed on the screen flashes on me, I frown. Then I close it and return it to where I took it out from and continue my way to the water jug sitting on the table where everyone else is.


	22. The Picnic: Part 2

**Chapter 22**

 _The Picnic: Part 2_

The more I look at my own reflection on the river, the more it makes me realize how small Rom actually is. It's cute honestly. She has this nice baby skin, and so soft and plump on the cheeks. She's such a sweet child to her friends even.

"Ah, are you finished grilling?" I turn my head; Compa asked that to Maki, who was filling a cup with water from the jug.

He doesn't answer however, and the cup on his hand is now getting drenched with the excess water pouring into the cup. It's only when Compa called his name again that snapped him out of it. He quickly turns the knob the opposite way, stopping the flow of the water.

"Are you all right? Maybe you should get some rest," Compa asks him.

He shakes his head and smiles. "I'm fine. I was just thinking. I'll be more careful next time. Guess I need to pay more attention, huh?" He laughs, but I'm sure something's going on with him.

Ever since that whole affair with that woman who said that her name was Sylvie. I'm not really sure anymore if she is who she says she is, but at the same time, I've never seen Maki get into a heated argument. It may sound strange, but seeing him act and talk like that felt so . . . weird. I always thought of him as a man who knew exactly what words to use. The nobles would always freeze whenever he talks to them. They swallow their words rather quickly whenever they try to talk back at him, way more than how I would, but it never went down to an argument even when he's the one being threatened.

But when it came to that woman, he was like a totally different person. Like a stranger that I've never met before.

"I'll make some lemonade for everyone," Maki says, taking a pitcher full water and bringing it to the foldable table Compa brought along her two bags. Now that I think about it, how does she fit those things inside the two plastic bags? Then again, her little 'nurse pouch' as she calls it, also contains a lot of things that a medicine kit would normally have.

"Ah, those aren't the lemons!" IF shouts.

"Huh? Oh, whoa! Whoops," Maki says as he places the melons back in the bag. He takes out another fruit, but this time it's apples.

"Again, those aren't the lemons!"

"Wh-whoa, you sure? Hrm? How did these become apples?" He places a finger on his chin as he inspects the apple on his hand, spinning it around as though he was identifying whether it was a real diamond or not.

"That's because those aren't lemons, idiot! Here are the lemons." She shoves the small plastic bag of lemons towards him. "Now, you shouldn't mistake it this time. Geez."

"Sorry." He begins to squeeze the juice out of the lemons into a bowl.

It's hard even for me to look at him acting like this. He's been spacing out more than usual. But no matter how many times he's told to sit down and take a break, he just wouldn't. I know why, but it's very troubling for me. His mind is always somewhere else and not present whenever someone is trying to talk to him. Even when Ram accidentally threw Blanc's book (she stole it while she was reading) to Maki's direction and hit square onto his head, he didn't flinch in the slightest.

When I sigh, Vert synced with me. Seems both of us are having some troubles in our minds. If it's about Maki though, I'm not sure.

"That was quite the large sigh, Rom," Vert says. "Anything weighing in your mind?"

I shake my head. "No . . . not really. What about you?"

"Well, in my case, I've been troubling to choose which method is best to clear a raid boss my guildmates and I are planning to attack."

"Is, is that so?" It's no exaggeration that I don't get what she meant, and at the same time I don't want to ask.

"It's important for me, but nevermind that for now. Right now, I'm wondering whether or not he can fight ever since he went along with IF. He doesn't look that capable, but I might be wrong in that regard."

 _Yes_ , is what I want to tell her, but I chose not to.

"Actually," she says, "maybe I can see for myself."

 _What do you mean by that?_ Again, another thing I wanted to ask her, but didn't. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to see it too. However, is it really a good choice to let her do what she wanted to do in the first place?

As Maki squeezes the last lemon into the pitcher, some of the juice squirts towards his eye instead. Squirming, dropping the lemon, clutching his eye, and crouching on the ground, he tries to grab a tissue from the table, but gripped it wrong and it rolled most of its content away. Since he doesn't see it, he didn't realize it became a mess until he was able to open his eye, even if it was only slightly.

Nepgear notices and kneels beside him to help roll the tissue back in place. At this point, I'm not sure if "okay" is a believable word coming from his lips anymore. He thanks her and starts adding sugar to the lemonade.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Vert asks him from behind.

He doesn't turn and answers with, "What is it? Want something else than lemonade? Wait until I finish this and I'll get to it."

"No, that's not what I'm asking."

That got him to turn around and face her while still stirring the pitcher. Now he raises one of his eyebrows and says, "What is it then?"

"Can you fight?"

"Hm? Yeah, I can. What about it?"

"Then have a duel with me."

"What?"

His hands stop moving then faces her completely. He shakes his head, increasing the speed until he stops and frowns. He turns his head to the side, as though Vert was something too bright for him to look at.

"There's nothing to worry about, "Vert says. "I won't hurt you too harshly."

He shakes his head again. "That's not it."

"Then what is it? There are no problems with it, yes? You can trust me on this one. Even if you did get hurt in the process, dear Compa here can take care of you. What do you say?"

"Is Vert challenging Maki to a fight?" Neptune asks as she latches onto Noire from behind, almost making her lose her footing and balance.

"H-hey, Neptune! Get off me!"

"What's there to worry about?" Blanc says, closing her book. "Why don't you accept it? I'm also interested to know." It's hard to tell how she actually feels about the whole thing when she keeps that straight face of hers, especially when there's barely any difference in her tone when she spoke. If I have to be honest, from what I've seen so far, I was convinced that Blanc isn't interested in anything than books, but apparently, I'm wrong.

Maki turns and walks a few paces away. "Even still, I'm not doing it."

The moment he takes another step, however, the tip of a spear passes through the side of his neck and stops near his face. He freezes and slowly looks back. Vert has a smirk on her face as she says, "Did I say you had a choice."

Slumping, he spins and takes a stance, his fists raised in front of him.

"Fine, you win. But don't be disappointed if I'm not like what you expect."

"You sure you want to fight me with that patch on? It might get in the way." He shakes his head.

"That's one thing I can't do."

"All right. Get ready because here I come!" She throws herself towards him with her spear ready to impale his torso. He sidesteps and swings his fist at her. But Vert's attack is only a feint and slams his side.

"Ugh!" Maki grits his teeth and does a roundhouse kick. However, she ducks and hits his head. After that, she takes a step back and readies her weapon again.

"Is that all you've got?" She taunts.

"Don't mock me . . ." Crumpling his fists, he swings downwards to which she sidesteps, but instead of pulling back he continues his momentum and uses his hands to support himself as he kicks her. "Got you!" He gets back on his feet.

"Good effort, but not enough!" He jerks his head behind him, but the spear throws him towards a tree before he had the chance to react.

"Khh . . ." He struggles to get up, but fails to do so.

"I think that's enough," Vert says, making her spear disappear in the process.

"No, I can still—ugh . . ."

"You're too worn out to keep going. Sit down and have a rest. You could open some wounds if you force yourself."

Compa extends an arm to him, but instead of taking it he forces himself to get up and walks off. I want to run and follow him, but Nepgear beats me to it. The only thing I can do is silently squeeze my fist.

"Hey, Nepgear wait!" Uni chases after her.

Vert crosses her arms below her breasts and just stands there staring at them running off. Then a sigh comes out of her.

"I think you went too far there," Noire says.

"I do not wish to hear that coming from you of all people, but I fear you may be right."

Because I didn't decide to follow after them, I opt to lie on the sheet where I slept on earlier. Besides, I'm not sure if I can find the words to tell him or face him in general for that matter. Even with the thick leaves obscuring my vision from the sky, it's still easy to tell with the reddish-orange color that dusk is nearing. It didn't take long for the others to resume their antics like nothing happened. But I'm sure that's not the case. They're also confused as I am or maybe I'm the only one thinking that way.

I twist to the side. Compa is cleaning the grill and preparing it to disassemble it and put it back where she first took it out. The plastic full of different plastics and excess meat sits at the bottom of the trunk where Neptune's sheet was right next to it.

But what sits on top of the whole pile is a burnt stick with ashen meat sticking on it.


	23. Heavy Feathers

**Chapter 23**

 _Heavy Feathers_

It didn't take that long before I jumped out of the sheet and sprint after Maki, Nepgear and Uni. But what was I thinking anyway? They've already had a head start and I'm just aimlessly going around clinging onto that slim chance that I can find them. Although, I guess since the river is there, I won't get lost no matter what.

I was able to run off without the others noticing. As much as I know they'd be worried, or yell at me after this, there's still something I want to know—something I want to confirm.

Not going to lie, I'm not much of a runner being that I'm usually around the castle most of the time. The only time I ever go out say pay a visit to a friend of mine who makes most of my dresses, but my parents won't let me unless I either bring some guards or my personal servant with me. The former is annoying so I go with the latter. Another thing are these small legs Rom has. It would be rude on my part if I complain about it, but it's no exaggeration if I say that these are very inconvenient.

Regardless, I continue my search. This part of the area has more trees bunched up together almost like the ones you see in forests. It's not as thick though. Just enough to make it difficult to find your way around if you minus the river.

The green grass is starting to become lighter the deeper I go. There are also less trees bearing fruits around. Sometimes, there are these hills and holes that forces me to take a detour. It\s a pain, also dirtying my clothes in the process, but I push through. There's still something I need to find out and I can't just stand around and do nothing. I'm sure I already know the answer, but it's not convincing me somehow.

"Kyaa!"

Hearing the scream made me trip over and slide on the ground, the dirt sticking onto my arms, legs, and especially my face. Eugh.

I get myself up, remove the dirt on the parts where the skin is (at least the ones that are easily removable), and hear another _thud_ coming from the direction where the river is. _It must be them!_ At last, I found them. My heavy panting and trembling legs made me realize how far they've gone. I know Maki does a lot of laboring things, but isn't this distance plain ridiculous? Taking a deep breath, I walk towards the source of the sound.

 _Found you!_ Is what I wanted to say, but I hid behind a tree and control any sounds I make. There's someone at the other side of the tree where I am, but the thing is, it's not him or them for that matter. No, it's someone else.

"Why does that always happen whenever I try and reach for an apple?"

Poking my eye near the edges of the tree's trunk, a certain silver-haired woman stands and dust off the dirt latching on her skirt with the other hand that wasn't holding onto an apple. There's no doubt about it—it's Sylvie! What is she doing around here? No, more importantly, maybe she knows where Maki and the other two are? But will she even cooperate with me if I mention about him? It didn't end well last time.

To my surprise, instead of taking a bite of the apple on her hand after raising it to her eye level, she simply sits at the bottom of a nearby tree. She slouches and rest her head on her free hand and keeps on twisting the apple as though she was confirming whether it was an ancient artifact or not.

"Will he remember if I show this to him? But slapped him though. He might not believe me after I did that." After saying that, she buries her face on her arms.

She's . . . still worried about making Maki believe her?

After witnessing this, my face lit up with a smile. I'm not sure about Maki, but I sure as well can at least believe she is indeed Sylvie. But only he can know for sure.

The moment I sigh in relief, my foot steps on a fallen branch and makes a loud _crunch_.

"Who's there?" Sylvie asks, but she didn't raise her head. "Look, I don't care who you are, but just leave me alone. If you're here to attack me, then go ahead, but I won't guarantee that you'll keep an arm or a leg if you did."

 _How morbid_ , I say in my mind.

I come out of the tree and approach her. This time she did raise her head and look at me with her eyes looking like she had a bad morning. She unfolds her legs and straighten them in front of her and lean on the tree behind her.

"Oh, it's you again," she says. "Are you here to get some more potions from me? That's strange, I know I gave you more than enough earlier. Hold on, I just need to gather the materials and make some more. It shouldn't take long, there are some around this area. Stay here, I'll be right back."

She tries to stand but I shake my head and say, "Um—!"

"Hm? What's wrong? Oh, don't worry, it's free of charge. I'm not going to take a kid's money for a potion."

I shake my head again. "That's not it."

She sits again, this time raising an eyebrow that's giving off a What-Is-It-Then face. She taps on the ground beside her and looking at me with a smile. "Sit here, let's have a little talk." It takes me a good few seconds before slowly going closer to her and sit right beside her. The moment I'm next to her, the air has this tangerine scent. "Are you hungry?" She hovers the apple in front of me.

"No," I answer, "I'm already full."

"I see."

The way she speaks reminds me of Histoire; a soothing and motherly tone with each word. It's not like I know her or anything, and it was only that one night that got me to meet her. It was really strange the way she acted earlier unlike that night and now, like she was a different person.

"Um."

"You sure like to say that a lot," Sylvie says. "I have a name, you know? You can call me with that one instead."

"Er, um, Sylvie?"

"That's it. Now, what is it?"

"Are you still mad with Maki?" Her smile drops into a frown and she sighs, turning her head away from me and looking towards the river. I wonder what expression she's making right now? I'm taking some guesses from her silence for a minute or so.

Finally, she shakes her head. "I'm not sure anymore. You heard what I said earlier, right? I'm his friend. When I saw him again in a long time, I couldn't help myself and messed things up."

"Do you really know his parents though?" I've never met them myself. He kept dodging the topic whenever it came up so after a few attempts I stopped asking. My mother just told me to let it go. And I'm glad I did. What would have happened between us if I pestered him about it some more? It might have been the one thing that'll make him stop visiting me in the castle's gazebo and I didn't want that.

Sylvie looks at me again, but this time her eyes are pointing elsewhere while she scratches her head. "I'm embarrassed to say, but I just remembered who they were. Now I just feel stupid about it."

"What are you gonna do now?" I ask.

She sighs again. "For one thing, I plan on reminding him about this." She holds out the apple in front of me again.

"An apple?" What's that got to do with her and Maki?

"I gave him one for his birthday."

"His birthday?"

"That's right. Although, I don't know about you people, but from where I'm from, grabbing something so simple as an apple is practically like mining to the depths of the mountains just to find a single diamond. And even then, the diamond would be small."

"Uh huh . . ." A bead of sweat runs down my forehead.

"So, I thought this would shake that thick skull of his." She giggles. Her face doesn't have that gloomy aura she had earlier.

"Are you going to give it to him?" I ask.

"Well," she says, "that was the plan anyway. Thanks, little girl." A vein pops on my head, but I hide it and keep a smile. "Let me ask you the same question you asked of me. Can I have your name?"

She's not as bad than how she made herself to appear from her appearance earlier. If she's acquainted with Maki, then it'll be nice to talk to another person from Lluna.

"Of course. I'm Minerva Soleil—" Both of my hands slam to block my mouth.

"Minerva?"

 _Well, crap._

I was too focused on her being from Lluna that I completely forgot about not being in Lluna at all. There's still a chance to fix it, but her jaw is quivering and her eyes grows wider.

"W-wait, isn't that the name of the heiress to the Soleil Kingdom?"

 _She knows!_

"But I thought you had that gorgeous blond hair? Did you dye it? I-I mean, I don't mean to be rude, Your Highness, I am merely curious."

"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong! I-It was just a slip of the tongue!"

"Are you certain? Well, it has been a long time since I last visited the kingdom. Can you still remember me? My father would usually visit the castle to negotiate with the king."

I shake my head furiously. "I'm telling you; you've got it all wrong. I'm not a princess of any kingdom. I'm just a CPU Candidate. My name is Rom. The one earlier was just from a story that I've read. Yeah, that's it."

She narrows her eyes as she peers through me. It causes some sweat to form on my forehead and my throat became all thirsty all of a sudden. I gulp.

"No," she says, "you really are Minerva."

"How, how are you sure?"

She points at my right hand; I quickly place it behind my back.

"There's no one else who can crumple and uncrumple their hand continuously when they're nervous. I know because the first time we met at the castle when we were still little children, you were hiding behind your mother's skirt while doing that exact same thing to your hand."

"That might've been just a coincidence. There's no way she did it all the time."

"But you did." _What?_ "The second and third time, then the fourth time I visited the castle, I caught you eating some cake alone in the garden's gazebo."

"D-did it? I don't recall ever meeting you."

"Well, I don't blame you since that was a long time ago, and we were still kids, but I just can't help but remember how nervous you were when you first talked to me. It felt refreshing if you ask me. And the way you crumple your hand in and out was adorable even. But that makes me wonder, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same for you, you know?" I'm not even sure if there's a point to deny it anymore. She's too convinced that it's me.

"Forgive me, but I can't disclose it."

I sigh. "It's fine. All right, you win. I am the first-in-line heiress to the throne of the Kingdom of Soleil. If you can't tell me, then I can't tell you mine. It's not because I don't trust you, but because it's complicated."

"Fair enough."

"Also, drop the formalities. We're not in the kingdom now, are we?"

"I guess you're right. Ahem, well then, it's a pleasure to meet you again, Princess Minerva." She extends her hand, but I don't take it and shake my head no.

"Don't call me that. Right here, I'm Rom. You won't understand, but it's important that you keep my identity a secret."

"Is it because of him?"

I shake my head again. "I don't know. But please, promise me."

She smiles and places her hand underneath my cap and rubs it. The way she ruffles the hair softly gives a tingly sensation. "All right, all right, I promise. So, just Rom?"

"Yes, but," I slap her hand away, "don't treat me like a kid. That's one thing I can't tolerate."

She giggles and makes my head pop more veins.

"That's one thing out of the way, but there's still another thing that's bothering me: What are you doing here away from the others? Did something happen?"

I look away and scratch the back of my head. If I tell her, "Maki got beaten up and ran away," what would her reaction be? As much as I want to, I didn't say it to her. Maybe I can just tell her that I was just wandering around? But that doesn't seem a good enough reason for a princess to wander around especially at night. What should I tell her?

However, before I could answer her question, she says, "Is it about him?"

Taking a deep breath and sighing heavily, I nod yes. I figure that maybe she can help me out somehow especially from what just happened earlier. So, I explain most of the things that happened.

". . . so he ran off and I'm trying to find him," I finish my explanation.

"Huh, is that so?"

"Is that so? Aren't you surprised? Why do you seem calm after I told you everything?"

Her laughing makes me pout. Even though I told her to stop being formal, laughing at me like this is completely rude.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just that, pfft, it's just that he's always like that." Always like that?

"What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what it means. Let me tell you something to get you a better picture." Sylvie places a finger on her chin and tilts her head. "There was a time when Kyle, another friend of mine, taunted him to fight him. Maki accepted it and, well . . ."

"He lost?"

"Pretty much. But what happened is something else. You see, they had these wooden swords for the spar. And Maki didn't know how to use one at the time and looked completely ridiculous." She giggles a bit and continues. "In the end, he got bruises in every part of his body."

 _How bad did he look?_ I wanted to ask her, but didn't.

I couldn't help but put a faint smile from what she said. It's a side I never seen Maki ever had back then.

"But," I focus my attention to her again, "something might happen to him if we just leave him alone like this. Although, I'm still not sure if I can face him after what I did."

That's not right. She's just running away from him. And that's something I cannot allow. Crumpling both of my hands, I stand, causing Sylvie to look at me with confusion. "Sylvie, you should talk to him." There's no better way to resolve it other than actually having a talk. So, I've decided.

"But how? He's sure to not believe I'm a fake."

"If that's the case, then I'll help you."

"What?"

"I'll help you get in touch with him again. But once you do, you'll be on your own to convince him. You're the only one who can do this."

"But—"

"Nope, no buts. You're going to talk to him and that's final."

"What should I do though?"

"If you truly are his friend, then it won't be hard to convince him. Just go for the apple if you're not so sure. I'm positive you'll be able to do it. If not, then I'll just smack him in the head until he gets it in his head."

She looks away for a bit, but faces me again and smiles while also standing to her feet.

"I think maybe now I can understand why everyone calls you the 'Golden Radiance'. Then I'll take up that chance. Thanks, Min—" she coughs, "thanks, Rom."

Now the only thing left to do is to actually find him. Once we do, then we can start.

"Did you see where he went?" I ask. I almost forgot what my purpose with her in the first place. But to my disappointment, she shakes her head no.

"I didn't see him pass by around here."

"Well, I guess we better start searching then. We have all night anyway."

"But isn't your picnic almost finished?"

"About that." I turn away from her and scratch my head. It's true that picnics usually end when it's about to get dark, but the thing is, "someone suddenly declared to have a sleepover picnic. So, we brought tents and other stuff." It was Neptune who gave the idea. No one was opposed to it, so it was approved.

"Well then." Sylvie stretches her arms forward. "Let's go find him then."


	24. Red Harmony

**Chapter 24**

 _Red Harmony_

It was only when I trip and fell over and fall flat on the grass near the river that I realized that nighttime has already occurred and the nearby surroundings have changed from the earlier scenery that had many flowers and less trees. Now, it has more trees and the grass being a bit taller, maybe by an inch, and the flow of the river is calmer than the one back in the picnic table.

"Damn it . . ." I pull myself up and go towards the river to wash my face. The moment the chilling water hits my cheeks, there's a tingling sensation that runs all over my body.

But it didn't tingle the part on my chest where the spear hit me.

I look at my reflection on the clear river. The water is reflecting light emitting from the moon, once again, shining ever so silently, like the brimming crown of a king that stands above high with his subjects roaring for him and his glory. However, the only glory I have is the glory of shame and utter disappointment not towards the people around me, but to myself in specific.

"Maki! Where are you?" A voice calls. From the sound of the voice, it's not hard to tell that it's Nepgear's.

"Geez, where did you go? It's already dark out!" Uni? She's also here? But what for? I haven't stuck with them long enough for them to even care about me. For the past few days, I did nothing to gain any closer to them whatsoever. I never intended to. Not after the day Neptune saw it that night IF got injured, Uni who saw it firsthand from that giant spider, and especially Compa after explaining a few bits what 'it' does.

But they're still here, calling for my name as though it was only natural for them to do so.

I don't feel like seeing or talking to them right now. Even though I felt that way, I won't run away from them if they did find me.

 _Chirp, chirp, chirp!_

The loud noises some birds making somewhere around startles me and got me to hit the ground with my back. While lying on the ground though, I found the source of the sound that threw me off my feet—a nest on one of the branches on top of the tree next to me. The tree is hard to figure out what kind it was, but what I'm certain of is the birds continuously wailing on top. I pick myself up and approach the tree.

The moment I get close, however, something hard and at the same time squishy hits my shoes. It makes this disgusting _squish_ and another one when I remove my feet from it. Turns out it was a dead bird.

Picking up the bird, I examine its dead body. I'm no doctor, but even from the flies buzzing around it and mushed up beak, face and skin can already tell me that this bird was already too late to save. The birds making those wails are most likely its babies asking for some food. It's hard to find something to give them with the place being so dark though. But when a subtle part of the light coming from the moon hits the head of the bird, I found six worms trapped inside the mother bird's beak. Without even thinking, I pull them out of their prison, gently place the mother bird down to the ground, and begin climbing the tree to the nest.

When I reach the nest, three baby bluebirds sitting there, chirping like mad costumers in a restaurant who haven't gotten their orders yet. Now, these birds don't look young enough to not be able to swallow. After getting a nice footing and grip on the branches, I hover the worms on top of them and they start devouring them like homeless people who haven't eaten in days.

"Ah, there he is!" Again, that is Nepgear's voice. She and Uni get to the base of the tree I'm at.

"What are you doing up there?" Uni asks.

"Feeding some babies," I answer.

"Babies?" I lift the worms away from the birds and they start bawling again. "Oh, that's what you mean?" The baby bluebirds stopped once I gave them the worms again.

"Their non-stop crying annoyed me too much, so I just got them some worms just to shut them up."

"Is that true?" Nepgear asks.

"Nope, that was a lie," I answer.

After the last worm found its way to the stomachs of the now full baby bluebirds (that's what I'm guessing since they stopped crying), I jump down from the tree and land in front of the two girls but with my back turned away from them. I didn't say anything and just kneel down and dig a small hole on the base of the tree is, some of the roots are appearing as I dig some more.

"What are you doing?" Uni asks.

"Digging a hole."

"What for?" Instead of answering her, once I'm satisfied with the size of the hole, I pick up the dead mother bluebird and turn to face them. They both kneel with me to see the bird on my hands.

"Is that . . .?"

"It is. It's their mother— _was_ their mother. It kept its children's food in its mouth the whole time. Couldn't have ignored it and the crying did annoy me to some extent." Startle me was the right word, but I decided not to tell them that.

"What do you plan on doing with it?"

"There's a reason why I dug a hole. I'm not a big fan of eating something that died trying to feed its children. Heck, just thinking that some random animal devouring this poor thing makes me want to puke. So, this is the only thing I can think of to at least give it some place to rest." I place the bird inside the hole and cover it with dirt one by one with scoops that my hand can hold. After tapping the dirt, I grab a somewhat flat and large rock and stab it at the edge of the dirt.

"How sad . . . it was only trying to keep its babies from getting hungry," Nepgear says, placing a hand on top of the small gravestone.

"Uni? Are you all right? You haven't been talking."

"Sh-shut up! S-something just caught my eye. It's hurting my eyes, okay?"

I stand and head for the river to wash my dirtied hands. The other two follow me and sits near the edges of the river. Uni grabs some rocks and throw them to the water, making them bounce twice and occasionally a three.

"What are you two doing out here anyway?" I ask. "Shouldn't you be with the others?"

"We got worried when you ran off," Nepgear answers.

"What for? You could've just left me. I don't see any reason why you gave your time just to find me." And again, I haven't been with them long enough for that exact reason. I'm just a stranger to them, nothing more. That should be enough to at least have them not bother about me. But perhaps I miscalculated.

Nepgear, however, shakes her head no. "Do we even need a reason to go after you?"

"Well, yeah. Isn't that how it works?"

"Are you an idiot?" Uni says, throwing a rock harder than the other ones and making four bounces. "We went out of our way to find you because we wanted to. Isn't that a good enough reason? Just shut up and be grateful about it."

I cock my head away from them. I still can't believe what their saying is genuine.

After a while of silence, Nepgear speaks up again.

"You're our _friend_ , Maki." That word . . . "That should be enough reason to go after you." Like my sister always says ' _friends_ together, nations forever'!" Stop it . . .

"Y-yeah!" Uni says. "If, if you're _friends_ with Nepgear, then I guess I c-can also consider you as my _friend_."

The depths of my stomach twists and churns, not giving me enough time to restrain myself. In fact, it's so strong that there's nothing I can do to stop it from taking over. I lean forward, my elbow lay on the grass while one hand is clutching hard on my stomach area. But no matter how much I squeeze it or grit my teeth, it's not going away.

"Maki, what's wrong?" Nepgear asks, both of them moving closer to me as I fight back the urge to spill everything I ate back out.

"Wh-what should we do, Nepgear? We're no Compa. Hold on, maybe I can—"

"J-just . . ." I struggle to make out even the slightest of words. With each pounding on my chest every time I get one out. "Give, give me . . . a moment . . . It'll be . . . all right."

Taking a couple of deep ragged breaths, sit upright again and wipe sweat off of my face. Of course, the pain isn't completely gone; only minimized. But it'll be enough to keep myself in control. "I'm good now," I say, almost sounding hoarse.

"Ah geez, d-don't scare us like that," Uni complains. "I thought something bad would happen."

I force a laugh. "Well, you shouldn't be now." But they still didn't look too convinced. "I'm all right, really I am. I may have just eaten something bad and acted up on me. No big deal."

"Maybe you should have Compa take a look at you," Nepgear says.

"Look, I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me anymore, see?" I try to stand, but halfway through it I took a wrong step and bump on Nepgear. It made her hit the ground on her back with me on top of her. I pull myself up and look down on her. "You okay?" She nods.

"H-hey! Wh-what do you two think you're doing?" Uni shouts.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Y-you two l-look like you're . . ." She trails off. I look down on Nepgear again, my right leg is caught in-between her own and my arms are positioned in a way that looks like I'm trapping her. Speaking of which, because some of the pain is still lingering around my body, I didn't exactly have a lot of distance away from Nepgear. And from this range, I can feel her warm breath hitting me.

"U-um, M-Maki?" Nepgear stutters.

"Oh, apologies. I'll try to get off—" but a jolt stinging my head says otherwise, paralyzing my whole body. I just have enough strength to keep myself from falling onto Nepgear.

"Wh-wh-wh-what . . ." A female's voice says, but it wasn't Nepgear's nor Uni's. "What is going on here?!" I wince as I force my eye to follow the direction of the voice. When I get a good focus on my eye, two silhouettes stand somewhere close by us. One tall one and one small one. My eye stretches out, but quickly squeezes it nearly closed from another jolt.

~0~0~0~

Sylvie just can't stop talking about Maki when he was a kid while we continue our way through the dense trees. Although there are things about their village that makes it hard to understand for most of the things she's saying, I just pretend to get it and let her continue talking. I made some few comments and slip in some questions about their past lives, but at some point, she was the only one talking for the rest of the way.

However, after a minute or two of her last bits of story about the part where she got him the apple for his birthday, she looks away in the distance as though there was something there that she could not reach no matter what.

"Are you sure it'll work out once we find him?" Sylvie asks, rubbing a hand to her arm.

"You don't have to worry. Thing's will work out, I'm sure of it."

"But what if he still doesn't believe me? What will I do then? I'm afraid of doing something rash again. It might even be the exact reason for him to believe I'm not who I am."

"Uhm." I know I've been saying that things will work out for the both of them, but honestly, I'm not very sure myself. There's no guarantee that whatever Sylvie will pull off is actually going to pull off. But I can't just leave them like this, not after that one time when I secretly read his diary by accident. The only thing I can really do for her is to give her some moral support and keep her confidence high.

If I said I wasn't nervous about this, then I'd be lying. He's got to believe her somehow.

Actually, maybe she can try to make him remember something stronger than that apple. Something that can actually make him remember.

"How did you two met in the first place?" I say. I'm not entirely sure if she said this already from her whole talking session earlier, but even if she did it wouldn't hurt asking again. Besides, it might give her the hint I'm trying to get her.

"Got trapped in a cave," she explains.

"Eh? Trapped in a cave? What do you mean?" Now that I think about it, she did mention about an old abandoned mine near their village earlier.

She nods and continues, "I sneaked out of my house one night and ended up finding myself in the old mine. . .

~0~0~0~

"Haah . . . haah . . ."

I was cold and tired, but it was better than staying anywhere near the house. However, by the time I found out that I was lost, I almost cried, but I went inside the mine anyway. It might sound silly, but I heard a howl and just wanted to get somewhere where it couldn't find me and the mine was the only place nearby.

"Eugh, mud is so gross." As I continue following the cave however, the ground started shaking and the path behind me caved-in.

"No way . . ." There's just no way I'd not cry after that. There was no way out, clothes covered in mud, my gloves got dirty, my stomach started growling, I was going to die in that cruel place. So, I just sat there, head buried in my arms, and waited until rescue that I know will never come arrives.

Of course, at some point, I got desperate and tried to dig through the pile of boulders. You can guess what happened: No luck. The only thing I got there was blood on my hands.

"What are you doing?" the voice was of course, Maki's voice.

"Nothing. I lost my bracelet in this place so I was just trying to find it." That was a complete lie if you can't tell already.

The way he asked me that question got me angry somehow, I don't know why. So, I continued pulling and digging dirt on the pile until he grabbed hold of one of my wrists and pulled me away from it. Now, I'd smack him and yell at him to let go, but the wounds on my hands got the better of me.

"You're bleeding." He had a voice devoid of care at that time, but it was because I didn't know.

"What do you care?!" I said.

The humiliation was too much for me, even if it was just one boy. I was on the verge of tears when he took off my gloves, took out some kind of plant, chewed it and spat it on hands while also rubbing it to my wounds. It was disgusting, but the pain became this soothing feeling like when you chew mint in your mouth. After rubbing it, he ripped parts of his clothes off and wrapped it on my hands. At that point, I just let him do whatever he was doing. It was very refreshing and I didn't want it to stop suddenly.

"Th-thanks." I wanted to apologize to him after what he did, but my pride wouldn't let me.

"I don't need your thanks." My face grew hot when he said that. He was being full of himself, I thought. But then he muttered, "I don't deserve it anyway." I heard it of course, but I kind of wished I didn't at the same time.

Oh, almost forgot to mention. The mine itself was dark so I couldn't get a good look on his face, but I knew he sat beside me. Although after that, we didn't say anything else and just sat there.

After a little while, he said, "Follow me."

"But I can't see you though."

I felt his hand touched mine. "How about this? Don't worry, I know my way around here somewhat. But don't raise your hopes up."

"Okay."

His hand was very dry and rough for his age. Too dry, in fact, it was almost like gripping crystalized sands tightly in your hands. But it was oddly cold. I was going to ask him something, but he cut me off.

"We're almost there," he says. I grip my hand on his tighter not because I was scared, but because I realized who he was.

When we arrived deeper into the cave, there were some lights coming in from some holes on the ceiling. And it was enough to make his face visible to me. It was him all right, but then it bothered me as to why he was at the mines in the first place as well. He doesn't live there, nor was he a caveman. He had a family in our village and he was well known. Everyone knew his family name, but no one knew his first name.

Even the other kids knew him. He was known as the kid who would sleep under a tree all the time. There wasn't anyone who would approach him and when someone did, he would only respond short phrases. But most parents would scold their children the moment he did. And I was like them too, avoiding him and ignoring him no matter what.

But at that time, at the very cave, he was a completely different person from what people told about him.

~0~0~0~

". . . I can't remember what happened after that. But what I do know is he's not what people depicts him to be." Sylvie finishes and runs a hand to the ends of her long hair.

There wasn't anything else than silence after she finishes. I'm not sure why, but somehow, for some reason, I have this feeling of not wanting to know more after that. I take hold of her hand, she flinches from this of course, but she didn't deny it.

"You'll be fine."

She looks down at her feet before facing me with a genuine smile on her face. "Thanks, I'll make sure he recognizes me." With that, she reciprocates the grip from mine.

But then a scream emerges to our ears nearby.

" _H-hey! Wh-what do you two think you're doing?"_ The voice, it's very familiar. I'm sure of it. It's got to be Uni's! We finally found them. Now we can make our plan take place.

"Sylvie!" She nods and we rush where the source was.

The moment we arrive however, both of us stop dead on our tracks from the scene before us. Maki is there, on top of Nepgear, their faces so close to each other. But their positions are way too suggestive. When I turn to Sylvie, her eyes are about to pop out, unblinking, the apple on her other hand is getting squeezed while the other one is shaking as she held mine. But I didn't feel it at all. Because I'm also gripping my hands.

"Wh-wh-wh-what . . ." Sylvie says, her voice trembling. "What is going on here?!"

The moment she said that, she stomps her way towards the two and smacks the apple directly on Maki's head. It breaks into multiple bits of pieces and his hair and parts of his clothes gets soaked from the juice of the apple.

Then she kicks him so hard that he flies towards the river and sinks in. Nepgear and Uni didn't move or say anything as he hits the water and remain in the exact same position.

"Idiot," Sylvie yells, "idiot! You're such an idi—"

It's hard to see what expression everyone is making with their backs facing towards me, but I'm sure they're also having the same idea and expression as mine. And now, Sylvie joins in the rest of the people here who's petrified.

Because the river isn't the clear blue color; it got painted in a deep shade of red.


	25. Doubt

**Chapter 25**

 _Doubt_

"So? Can you tell us why you're here?" Uni asks after Nepgear and Sylvie lay Maki's soaked body on the base of a tree that had a stone erected and part of the patch of grass that only had dirt on it.

". . . . ." Sylvie doesn't say anything. I'm sure she's hurt even though she's trying to hide it. After all, she did what she said she didn't want to happen again. It's funny, really, like she's supposed to hit him whenever they meet.

"Not gonna answer?"

Sylvie shakes her head and looks away from the three of us.

It's hard to find something to at least get out of this topic for now, so I try thinking of something and ask, "What was he doing over here?"

Nepgear points at the stone beside Maki. "He found some bluebirds and climbed up this tree to feed the mother's babies on his behalf."

"He was surprisingly considerate," Uni adds. "But . . ."

"But?"

She shakes her head. "No, nevermind."

Is there something that she can't disclose to us? Probably, but I'm sure she won't yield even if we try to force it out of her. The best thing to do now is to gain some more information, Maki would always say. Although, for the most part, it's just about the strange position him and Nepgear were in earlier.

"Why was Miss Nepgear on the ground?" I ask, trying to mimic what Rom would actually say.

"Ah!" Nepgear's eyes turn into two white circles and some sweat beads are blowing off of her head. "Th-that's, i-it's not, er, um, I-I was just tired! D-don't worry about it, Rom. It was from walking around for a while."

An obvious lie, but I'll just go along with it.

"A-ahem, what about you?" Nepgear asks me. "Were you worried about us?"

"Mhm, mhm!" I nod.

What would her reaction be if I said that I wasn't here for the both of them? I mean, I could try, but I don't think it'll end well. And it'll probably hurt her if I did. As much as I want to get some reactions from any of them, I have a different purpose and I don't want to sidetrack just to fulfill my own pleasure.

"By the way, why was _she_ with you anyway?" Uni asks me.

"That's none of your concern," Sylvie answers, still not looking at any of us. This made Uni's face reddened and her cheeks puffed out.

"Oh, now you're gonna talk?"

"Anything wrong with that? I'll talk whenever I want to talk. And I'm saying it's none of your business." Oh, come on, this won't end well if she doesn't stop getting on their bad side.

"But it _is_ my business! It doesn't make sense why Rom would be with you!"

Sylvie stands and gets near Uni. This is getting out of hand. Why is she acting like this towards them anyway? I don't think they did anything that can make her act this way, to my knowledge anyway. They both stare at each other, not uttering a single word. Nepgear and I are just on the sidelines, but I'm sure Nepgear is desperately trying to think of a way to get them out of it.

"Wh-why don't we calm down for a second here?" Nepgear asks, but they didn't listen and continue their staring contest. "What do I do? Neptune, please, I need some help here."

Sighing, I get between them and push them apart. "Please, no fighting." Sylvie's brows twitch and she rubs her arm and looks away. Whether or not she remembered that I'm here or if it was her original goal to begin with snapped her out of it or not, only she will know. I know I don't.

"Can't . . . we just be friends?" I say.

"Hmph!" Uni looks away herself with her cheeks pouting. "There's no way I'm befriending someone like _her_."

"But Uni—"

"No way!" She cuts Nepgear off.

Nepgear slumps her shoulders and sighs. Then, she turns to Sylvie and says, "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm—"

"Nepgear, right? I already know who you all are, don't worry."

You know, there are some things even I don't understand from this place even now, but to think that she already knows a lot more about this place and how it works even though we're from the same place does gets on my nerves. It's like I'm the stupid one, to put it bluntly. I'd question her about it, but now's not the right time so that'll be put on hold for now.

"We're not trying to force you," Nepgear says. "It's just that, we're wondering why you showed up earlier."

"And now," Uni adds, still looking away.

Sylvie shrugs and sighs, then picks up a piece of the shattered apple and hold it out for them to see. The two looks at each other, most likely confused about what she's doing, and looks back at the apple.

"To answer your second question," Sylvie starts, "This thing here is— _was_ the main reason."

"An apple?" Nepgear takes and examines it.

"That's right. I'm sure you two won't understand, but this thing right here, it's important to him as much is it is for me."

"I don't get it." Uni leans closer to Nepgear and inspect the apple herself. "It looks like a normal apple to me. What's so special about it?"

"Like I said, you won't get it." Sylvie moves closer to Maki, pushing his bangs aside his forehead. After sighing in relief, she strokes his hair like a mother would to a child. I would know since my own mother does it to me as well. "He's sound asleep. That's good." She pauses for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry."

When I turn to the other two, Uni crouches on the river and dips her hand on the water. The river itself went back to its original state after a short while, but I'm not sure if it's the same for me or the others here.

"Uni . . .," Nepgear says.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm just cooling off for a bit here."

Nepgear didn't say anything to her any further. Instead, she asks Sylvie, "How long have you been friends with him—"

"You have a nurse with you, yes?" She cuts Nepgear off.

"Well, um, yes, but—"

"Good, then we need to hurry. One thing I can say for certain is he need some proper treatment."

"Can't you have him drink that same potion you gave me?" I ask. It worked wonders for me, so wouldn't it work for him also?

She shakes her head no. "It sounds stupid, but my potions don't affect him at all. If he drinks some, it'll be the same as drinking water in a small bottle. I may be able to make potions to remedy wounds and sickness, but it doesn't always work. The ones I gave you were just test potions. And to be honest, I was surprised that it actually worked.

"But now it's not the time for that. Come, let's hu—"

"And why should we listen to _you_?" Uni stands, but doesn't turn towards us. "Why don't you just leave us all alone? We don't need your help!"

Sylvie gets taken aback, even I did myself, but Nepgear doesn't though. But her expression shows more of a concerned one than anything else really. I can partly understand why she doesn't approve of her, and I can't just blurt out anything about the two of them in my state. They might find it strange if someone they know knows more about her, plus they won't believe me if I say it to them straight. The only thing I can do is wait if either Maki or Sylvie opens up to the others.

"I won't blame you," Sylvie says, "But it's him we're talking about here and right now he needs treatment."

"Uni, please, just this once?" Nepgear pleads.

Uni crosses her arms and yells. "Fine! But I'm not going anywhere near her. Got that?"

"Sounds like a plan," Sylvie says, about to grab the upper part of Maki's body until his head jerks sideways. "Ri—Maki!"

Everyone gathers around him, leaning closer, and anticipate for any more movements. And thankfully, his right eye starts to open up even if it's doing it slowly. Once it opens up completely, then squints. I'm more than relieved to see him fine, but I'm sure it's not completely.

"Where . . . where am I?" Maki asks, raising his upper body.

I want to dive in there and hug him, but Sylvie beats me to it. Seriously, why does everyone take the thing that I want to do the most? But there's no point complaining now, is there?

"You're all right!" Sylvie tightens her hug. This is it, now they can do something between themselves. It's what I'm expecting, but Maki turns away from her and doesn't say a single word. Does he still not believe it's her? In any case, I still can't interfere, otherwise it might turn for the worse.

"H-hey! Get off him!" Uni breaks the hug and pushes Sylvie away.

"What's your problem? It's not like you know him a lot more than I do, do you now?"

Uni doesn't say anything, but Nepgear quickly announces, "L-let's all go back to the others first before anything else. I'm sure we're all tired."

"That's fine by me," Uni says, but quickly adds, "But she's not coming with us."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Sylvie starts off to the other direction from the picnic and I catch up to her. She didn't say anything to Maki at all! It wasn't in the plan. Is she hesitating, of all times? This is a perfect chance, so why is she not using it? It makes no sense.

"Sylvie, wait!" She thankfully stops and turns around to face me. The little run got me out of breath. "Why?"

She kneels and rubs my head, ruffling my hair. "I'm sorry, Princess, but I don't think I can face him after all. I'll give him some space for now. I think that'll make it easier for him as well as for me. I'm sorry, even though you gave me some encouragement, I'm just not ready."

"But are you sure you want to leave it like this?" It's just not fair. Why is she giving up like this?

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm giving up, but the truth is, I'm not. It'll take a while, maybe a full cycle of moons here. Although, it doesn't seem like there's any here, but I'll come back and convince him."

She made up her mind, huh? There's nothing more I can say, or rather, I _don't_ have anything to say.

"But will I see you again?"

The smile on her face is both pretty and sharp.

"Don't worry about it, you will. Gamindustri isn't that too big of a place to go around with. But if you're curious where I'm headed, I'll be in a place where people say it has a kind of 'Regality' on it." She winks, but I didn't understand what she meant.

It's disheartening to lose someone who knows about me, but I can't just force her to stay. I can't even come along with her; I'm sure Blanc wouldn't be too happy hearing that if I told her.

"I'll see you around, Princess."

~0~0~0~

Was it right letting Sylvie leave like that?

The same question keeps swirling around my head each time I try to think about what happened, how Sylvie hit me with something real hard, and kicking me to the river. Does she really hate me that much to kick me with full force? There's no other reason behind it, nothing else comes to mind anyway.

"Water fight!"

"Neptune, stop it!"

Maybe it would have been better off for me if she yelled at me when I woke up, but she didn't, and when she did, it was hard to find the right words for it. It hit harder than the slap on my cheek.

"Go ahead and try me, Noire. You ain't gonna beat me in this!"

"And you think I'm gonna let you?"

I didn't exactly saw it clearly, but I'm sure she had an apple with her. Although, the next thing I knew the apple were scattered around the place. Seeing it on her hand, even if it was only briefly, reminded me of my birthday but can't remember how old I was back then. It doesn't matter anyway. I tried forgetting about my birthday a long time ago, but she kept reminding me and doesn't waste a single moment to let me treat it as a normal day.

"Come, Nepgear, let your dear sister wash your back."

"A-ah, y-you don't need to. I-I can do it myself."

"Oh, but surely you can let me, no? It will be hard for you to reach in some parts, so let me and I'll make sure that there won't be any spot left untouched."

"V-Vert!"

I lean back onto the trunk of the tree, with me sitting on a large branch, then let my one leg fall to hang about. My head also rests on the trunk as I cock my head up and close my eyes. Both of my eyes are free from any restraints for this moment since the others are enjoying a bath on the river. And I mean all of them.

They did instruct me to stay inside one of the tents, but it gets very boring at some point. And the stars are showing up more than usual tonight and I don't want to miss them.

So, I snuck out and climbed a tree to get a good view of the sky. Although it's good, they were a lot noisier than what I anticipated them to. But don't get me wrong, I made sure I was on a tree with a good distance away from any of them. I don't want to have another case of being thrown soaps and buckets to no end.

"Such a peaceful night . . ." At least what's most of it anyway.

Just then, a rustle sounds from a nearby bush.

"You can come out now. I know you're in there," I say, getting up.

"Th-there's no one here! I-it's just your imagination!" What a terrible liar. And way too easy to spot.

"Oh, I see. That makes sense." And I'm going along with it anyway. But after a moment, I jump down and land on the same bush that made the rustling sound. The moment I do, Uni stumbles back and falls to the ground on her behind. For one thing, I'm not judging, but why exactly? "What are you doing over here?"

She quickly regains her composure, stumbling a bit before dusting off some dirt off her dress.

"I-it's nothing. I saw you went out of the tent, so I followed you to make sure you didn't try to peek at any of them or something." I can't take her seriously with the bright tint of redness on her face.

"Well, I'm not, so why don't you go ahead and join with the others. I'm sure you'd want a bath yourself."

"I-I can take one later!"

Forcing her to leave won't end up well for me. From my short travel with her, she's quite stubborn on some stuff, but it doesn't make it harder to talk to her though. Although, she might just not be honest with herself and to others, but who am I to say? I can't read her mind.

"In that case, want to have a chat?"

I face my back on her and fall forward. This is something I usually do to scare people in my spare time, but in her case, it's for a different purpose. Doing this does require some thing to keep in mind. For one thing, both feet need to latch onto the branch properly to make sure I won't fall out of nowhere, and another one being to adjust the body's weight to prevent myself from swinging like a pendulum. The latter part is harder to do, but it's very rewarding once mastered.

Also, it's a good idea to do it with some sturdy shoes and not barefoot or any other footwear that exposes the skin.

The moment my face got near Uni's, she steps back a bit.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asks.

"It's hard to talk when we're a bit far from each other. Grab on," I show her my hands, "we can continue talking up the tree."

"Can't we just talk down here?"

"You have a point, but the scenery is better up here. Come on, just take my hands."

She crosses her arms and looks away. "I don't want to. I-it's too embarrassing."

This is a thing that can get a bit tricky when it comes to convincing people like her. But there was something I learned from an elf from Lluna, and no it's not Sylvie. She said something about "reverse sigh coal gee?" No, I don't think that was it, but somewhere along the line. Hmm, maybe I can try it out. I do remember some key things she told me to look out for. Welp, here goes nothing.

"Ahh, I see. The stars are just prettier up here, but I guess that's too childish for you."

"E-eh?" It's actually working. Who knew?

"Forgive me. I guess I should've considered that fact about you. Well, I'll just head back up and—"

"Wait!" Jackpot.

"Anything wrong?"

"I-I d-didn't say I didn't want to . . ." But she just did. "F-fine, if you're that desperate, th-then I guess I can make an exception."

"Really?" She slowly nods. "Great! Now, hold on." She did as she is told and places her hands on mine. They're also on the soft side, maybe a bit more than IF's. "Ready, go." I pull us both up the tree. It's actually harder to do it with another person, but I somehow manage to do it. Once I get a good footing, I support Uni's sides to make sure she doesn't fall from the tree the moment she lands on the branch. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah." She was able to keep herself from falling and sat on the branch. Then she looks up the starry sky. "It is pretty from up here."

"See? What did I tell you?"

"All right, all right, you win. Happy now?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Oh, I'm not closing my eye or covering it with bandages since the moon isn't full right now. I do, however, go back to leaning on the trunk of the tree. It's not really for the sake of relaxation, but because this is how I usually go about in Lunelit Forest.

"What do you plan on doing now?" Uni asks.

"Hrm, maybe go around cities and scavenge for any lingering girls suspiciously hiding in an alleyway." She glares at me; I wave her off. "Just kidding. Your sister invited me to check Lastation out, so I'll be heading there."

"Hmm?" Does she not believe me?

"Well, I'm actually trying to find a good place to build a home."

Her legs then begin swinging back and forth. "There are some good spots near the park. You can see if you can find a house there." A good offer, but not exactly what I'm looking for.

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I admit, while living in a city does sounds nice, it's not something I'm used to."

She turns her head to my direction, tilting it most probably confused from my statement right there. Like how pretty much every single people in this world thinks I'm a madman for asking them questions they have no answers to, hers is the same.

"How so?"

"I prefer living somewhere far from other people, but not too far since I do want to have some form of access to supplies. Believe me, it's quite relaxing to have a large place for your own. Sounds lonely, doesn't it? Though, I'm sure it's completely different from yours."

"Y-yeah, different."

She doesn't sound too confident with her answer. I may have offended her or something.

"Sorry, did I say something I shouldn't have?"

She shakes her head. "N-no, you're wrong! It's not—" she pauses. "A-anyway, d-don't you get anxious when there's nobody around?"

My hand finds its way to the back of my head and scratches it. "I'd agree with you, but that isn't exactly the case for me at all. There are people visiting me, well, only one person really. It gets on my nerves sometimes, but her liveliness is always welcome."

"Who's that then?" Uni asks, fondling her hair and at the same time looking somewhere else.

"It's—"

"Hey! What are you two doing up there?!"

I had to grab the branch tightly to prevent myself from falling. Uni almost fall over herself, but I manage to catch her arm before she gains any more momentum. When I trace where the voice came from, another voice shouts at us. Then, that's when we notice both Neptune and Noire standing at the bottom of the tree, their hairs still soaked from the bathing.

I'm sure it was Neptune who shouted at us. Her hands are still cupping around her mouth after all. Although, I did find it strange that they found us like this.

"Maki and Uni sitting on a tree, K—ow!" Noire smacks a fist on Neptune's head.

"I-it's not what you think!" Uni's face is getting redder and redder, almost about the same tint as the color of my red hair. "W-we were just having a chat! That's all!"

Noire points a shaky finger at me. "Y-you didn't do anything weird to my sister, did you?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down," I say. "I didn't do anything to her, I swear. Don't get the wrong idea."

"Look, I'll just—kyaa!"

Uni starts to slip and fall down the tree. Without thinking twice, I jump down faster than her, catch her mid-air, and land on the ground with a small ring of dust cloud. Her body is a lot lighter than I thought.

Neptune gasps. "It's the famous bridal carry! Noire, your sister got to experience it before you did~ Too bad, huh?"

"Sh-shut up!"

I place Uni down and stretch my whole body once I did.

"Let's head back. I'm sure the others are waiting for us."

"Hey," Noire says. "We're not finished yet!"

"Oh, I'm sure we are! I'm already getting a head start from all of you! Don't blame me if you fall behind!" As I keep on shouting at them, the distance between us grows bigger. I've had enough things happening for one day.

~0~0~0~

-Nepstation-

Neptune: You're watching Nepstation! I'm your host, Neptune! And I'm here with . . .

Uni: Hello everyone. I'll be today's co-host.

Neptune: Man, the picnic's over already? You should've seen it! I got some water in Noire's nose. It was hilarious. Ahaha!

Uni: Sure, it was, Neptune.

Neptune: Anyway~ Here's today's announcements. No preview again, though. Read the note, Uni!

Uni: "As of today, my schedule will become compact to the point that I might only be able to have a short period of writing instead of long ones. So, updates will become inconsistent. That's all. See you in the next chapter."

Neptune: And that'll conclude today's forecast!

Uni: It's pretty short compared to the others.

Neptune: Oh, what can you do? Even Zidawn isn't here to man the camera today. So, all we can do is make a short one. I would make it longer, but my puddings are calling for me.

Uni: *Sigh* All right. See you all next time.

Neptune: Pudding, here I come!


	26. Misjudgment

**Chapter 26**

 _Misjudgment_

I make a turn to the third corner of the street after entering Lastation's city where the Basilicom is most likely at.

I'm not entirely fond of things that have a black scheme around it. It generally reminds me too much of the Black District on one section of the city in the Soleil Kingdom. And, like that time when I first met IF, that place has a lot of bars and pubs to the point that it's basically a common building around there. At first glance, people would think "Hey, it's a bar. Sweet." But then they realized it was more than they bargained for. It shouldn't be surprising when I say that it's a place filled with ruffians and thieves.

Even though Lastation has a lot of blackness in its buildings, signboards, vehicles, and heck the more I walk down the road, it's so dark that it's hard to tell if it's a pit of oil or not, it's not as shady as the Black District.

In fact, though I don't know if it's the same for the other parts of this city, there are quite the number of buildings emitting dark smoke from some kind of chimneys I've never seen before. Some buildings have one, others have two or more, while few of them don't.

I have a chimney in my own house in Lunelit Forest, but it's not as impressive as the ones here. Although, it's arguable that I almost never use my chimney in the first place besides the winter season, but other than that, I always make sure every part of my house is free from forming a large pile of disgusting dusts. Those are a nightmare to clean especially when they land on your face from the ceiling.

Mind you, I got here to Lastation first thing in the morning, but the sidewalks are already filling with a group of people wearing tights and hard helmets, as well as some people window shopping.

And surprisingly, kids are already running around with other kids. Nobody seems to mind the children at all. Guess that's why that one woman one that morning before going with IF for her job said it was sad to see no kids running around this early in the morning, and surely enough I'm convinced from her statement now. It actually does make the place livelier than Planeptune. But it does also remind me of the village I used to live in.

I shake the thought the moment I reach a small building with a familiar name.

"Passe?" For some reason, it's like I know what it is, but can't remember how and when did I hear it. It's weird. This is my first time being in Lastation and yet it's like I've been in this building in specific before.

Instead of standing around to ponder about it more, I approach and open the door to Passe. The moment I twist the knob and swing the door open, a bell chimes once and then twice after I step in and close the door behind me. The instant I burn the image of the whole place made me feel right at home.

"Oh, didn't expect anyone would come at this hour. Welco— Oh, hey, it's you!" A girl with short blue hair with goggles strapped around her head comes out of a doorway with a rectangular curtain with a light shade of moss blocking the view behind it.

"Wait, I remember you," I say. "Your name is . . . Chian, correct?" She lets out a hearty laugh.

"Good to see you remember me." She scratches the back of her head. "Though, embarrassing as it is, I don't remember your name. Sorry."

"That's fine. I'm used to it."

She flings a hand towel on her hand to her shoulder and lean an arm to a long table where four black circular stools stuck to the floor are in front of it. Three napkin boxes and three condiments next to it lies on top of the table. Now, what are those used for? Judging from the multiple tables and chairs around, plus the cabinets, fridge, and cooking utensils behind the table, I'm guessing this place is some kind of restaurant.

After wiping a bit of sweat on her forehead with the hand towel, she places her fingers on her forehead. "I'm sure your name was related to a type of sushi or something. What was it again?"

"That's one way to put it, I guess. I'll give you a hint. It's a roll."

"Oh!" Just then, a lightbulb appears on top of her head. It didn't last long though. "I remember now. Your name's Maki, isn't it?"

"Guessed it right."

"Hoo~ That's a relief." Her hand towel finds its way to her forehead again. "It would've bothered me if I was the only one who didn't remember. But enough of that. Want something to eat? It's on the house."

"Sure? I have some Credits on me. I can pay." She shakes her head.

"Don't bother. You were an interesting fellow back in Planeptune." Her other hand lands on her hip. "No need to be shy! Here, just pick something from this menu here." She grabs a small and thin sized board paper with the food, drinks, and their prices. They're surprisingly cheap compared to the ones in Planeptune and way more reasonable than Leanbox's restaurant.

Since she's kind enough to offer, refusing now will be rude.

"Then, I'll have a tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. Also, a cup of coffee. Make it a strong one if possible." Her green tea looked tempting, but coffee will get rid of the lingering sleepiness I have.

"Alright. Be right back." After she disappears into the same curtain she went out from earlier, I let out a big yawn and stretch my arms.

Before heading here, last night I had to help Nepgear with the multiple stack of paperwork. I handled most of the minor stuff while Nepgear did most of the harder ones since I didn't know much about Planeptune's priorities. By the time we finished, it was already 1:42 in the morning. So, I didn't sleep, took a warm shower, and head straight to Lasatation. Probably not the best plan, but I did promise Noire.

Glancing around the place some more, there are about six lamps with the same light moss color and bright lightbulbs inside it. The walls have a whitish-green color with wooden borders. The bottom part consists of a pattern of wood clamped vertically together.

Other than the poster of a cup of beer with some green things popping out of it adjacent to the long table, there is a tall glass cabinet containing bottles. I'm guessing they're beers and liquors and other stuff that people like to chug in their throats with.

After short while, Chian returns from the same doorway with a plate of a sandwich and a cup of coffee on each her hands and place them on the long table.

"Here you are. Enjoy!" She says, sitting on the stool next to where she placed the sandwich.

I sit on the seat beside her and take a bite on the sandwich. Even though I barely know her, it's nice that there's someone who I'm at least familiar with. Of course, it's not to say Noire and Uni are complete strangers at all.

"So," she starts, "what made you decide to visit Lastation all of a sudden?"

"Was invited." I take a sip of the coffee.

"Really now? Like what, some kind of birthday party or something? Thought you said you weren't from here. Got any relatives then?"

I shake my head. "I wish it were, but I'm here for a different reason."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Simple. Some people I met two days ago invited me to the Basilicom here."

Her eyes light up and leans closer to me. "Wait, don't tell me. You gotta be screwing around with me, right? Noire invited _you_?"

"You know her?"

She laughs and slams the table a couple of times, forcing me to pick up my cup of coffee to prevent it from spilling. "You being serious right now? She's Lady Black Heart! Of course, everyone knows about her. But don't worry, I won't blame you since you're not from here."

The moment I finish taking the last bite on my tuna sandwich, the door opens and the same bell chimes again.

"Oh, speaking of which," Chian waves an arm at the new guest. "Over here!"

When I turn to look at the person who entered, I almost drank the coffee to the wrong pipe. Surprisingly, I'm not the only person who got to this small eatery this early in the morning.

"Chian, I'll be having the same one as yesterday."

"Just a simple miso soup, right? Alright. Why don't you go sit with your special guest while you wait?" Before Noire can react, Chian winks and disappears to the kitchen.

"Special guest . . .?"

"Didn't think you'd come to a small place like this."

She takes a step back the moment she sees me. But she quickly regains her composure, coughs, and sit on the stool next to mine.

"G-geez, you should've told me you're here already," Noire says.

"That so? Sorry, I just got a bit excited to see you."

"S-see me?"

"Yeah. That goes for Uni as well." I take another sip of my coffee. At least finding her won't be a problem anymore. But who knew she knows Chian? She didn't look like someone who'd go around entering a small place like this. Although, I don't blame her. It's quite comfy here, and just right at home. "So, what are the plans?"

"P-plans?"

"Hm? You know, the plan. You said you'd show me around."

She turns away and begins fiddling the strands of hair on her pigtails. "O-oh, right. That plan." She coughs. "Well, I was just thinking maybe you can help me with something first . . ."

"As long as it doesn't involve taking out any trash, sure."

Chian comes back with the miso soup on hand and places it down in front of Noire. "Here you are." After she gives her her chopsticks, Noire splits it apart and starts sipping on the noodles. "How've ya been? Sounds like things are going on in your end."

Noire sighs at her statement. "Not going too well, unfortunately."

I shoot a curious glance at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, before I got here, there was a note in one of the documents I had. Of course, I did think it was just some kind of prank, but when I read it, it bothered me."

"What did it say?"

She shakes her head. "I don't know. It looked like scribbles to me. But when I kept looking at it, it made me more uneasy."

"That so? Show it to me later. Maybe I can help."

"I'd like that. Thanks." She finishes her miso soup and drinks from her glass of water. "All right, why don't we get going?"

I nod. "Sure. Thanks for the sandwich, Chian."

"Yeah, yeah, just get going already you two." She flashes a wide grin. "Wouldn't want to ruin your date and all." Then she disappears to the curtains again. Again, with the date thing? Is she always going to assume it's like that every time I go around with someone? Or maybe she's just like that, I don't know.

"Huh, that was weird. Well, no matter. Let's go. Hm? Noire? You okay there?" I wave a hand to her face.

"A-ah, yeah! L-let's go."

Like in Planeptune, I let her lead the way since I don't really know my way around this place. Although, I say she's leading, we're just walking beside each other. It's just more so her giving the directions than anything else, really.

When we round to another corner, Noire suddenly stops in front of a clothing store.

"This is the place," she says.

The store is comparingly similar in size as Chian's eatery. And, although I can't say for sure since it's still early in the morning, like Passe, there's practically no customers around other than Noire and I after stepping inside. There aren't a lot of clothes in display here, but the clothes here don't look like ones where people usually wear in their day-to-day basis. It's more extravagant to say the least, also the prices, but Noire doesn't seem too bothered about it.

Noire takes a black dress from one of the racks, but she takes off to the changing room so quickly, that I didn't have the chance to get a good look at the dress she took.

But then again, why is she buying clothes with me in the first place?

It's not in my position to ask, and because it's something the Princess would usually tell me to do for almost all the time whenever she asks me to escort her, but it doesn't sit well to me from the fact that she's not the Princess. Well, she did ask some help from me earlier, and since I agreed to it, I can't exactly complain. Not like it matters though.

"I-I'm done." Noire gets out of the changing room. She doesn't have her outfit earlier and is now wearing the one she picked earlier.

Instead of her pigtails, she has her hair tied up with a butterfly-shaped purple ribbon. Not only is her dress black, there are purple plated armor on her shoulders and her waists, a skirt with a pink color that fades out that's reaching her knee, a pair of purple petal-cuffed gauntlets, and armored boots.

"S-so, what do you think?" Even though she asks that, it's hard to make words for it.

Something like "beautiful" or "gorgeous" doesn't cut it, but it will be rude especially since she took the time to wear something like this if I don't respond anything at all.

"Whoa, never thought you had it in you," I say, my eye unblinking.

"No good?"

I shake my head. "Completely opposite. You look stunning."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Thanks!" She twirls and faces a mirror, fixing some minor stuff on her clothes and her hair.

She's like a totally different person in that outfit. She looks like someone who would fall from the sky or something and destroys a whole building. Maybe she'll look even better with a large sword on her hand. The color of her eyes did change though, which made it hard for me to tell if it was really her earlier. Instead of her crimson, she had purple eyes, almost the same shade as Neptune's and Nepgear's.

"Say, Noire?"

"Yeah?" She says, adjusting her hair.

"Why'd you take me to a place like this? If you wanted to shop for some new clothes, you could've just taken Uni to come with you."

She shakes her head hard. "No, that wouldn't work at all."

"Why?"

"W-well, just because okay? And besides, you already know my secrets so there's no use hiding it from you anyway. So, instead, I had you come with me to help me with my cosplays!" Her arms crosses under her breasts. "N-not because I enjoy it _that_ much or anything."

"A-ah, right. That." I completely forgot about that. That was supposed to be a lie, but she took it seriously apparently.

Although, I'm more surprised to the fact she's telling me all this with no restraints. She must be that convinced I know her every secret. And that's just my fault entirely. Well, no use telling her about it. She'd probably crawl into a hole if I did.

"Why don't you pick some yourself?" Noire suggests. "Don't worry, pay is on me."

"All right, but you don't have to pay for me though. I've got more than enough to buy myself one." As long as I can limit myself to at least one or something, then I should be fine.

I make my way to a rack at the opposite end where Noire is, but they were all dresses. While I scratch my head, my eye catches a pink dress along the rows of other dresses. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not something I would wear, but the color and design, and maybe just coincidental that the dress is very similar to the one the Princess' younger sister would usually wear inside the castle.

"Found something?" At Noire's words, I snap out of my trance and head for another rack, this time having some clothes for males.

"There's so many to choose from," I tell her. "It might take me a bit. You fine with that?"

"That's not a problem. I'm still finding some more myself."

More, she said. Just how rich is this woman?

Instead of thinking about it, I browse the different rows of clothes lined up in the rack. Most of them are jackets with different colors. There is also an orange one that looks like something a ninja would wear.

But then, a figure passes through the store in a rushing pace.

"Found anything yet?" But again, at Noire's words, my trance breaks. Without a second thought, I randomly grab a hanger from the rack of jackets. Surprisingly, the one I grabbed isn't a jacket like the rest. It's a plain soft-red kimono with a white long skirt thing. When I ask the woman behind the counter what it was, she said it was a _umanori hakama_ , whatever that is. It also comes with a pair of sandals with straw soles.

After coming out of the changing room myself, there is some kind of restriction around my body when I try to move around, but it feels natural to me however.

"Huh, I've never worn anything like this before."

"How is it?" Noire asks.

"It's actually quite nice. Although, something's telling me there's something missing on my cheek, but other than that, it's good."

"Wanna buy them now? We can head to the Basilicom after this."

"Sounds like a plan."

Before paying, Noire returns to her old outfit and purchases the clothes to the woman behind the counter. And to my relief, the outfit didn't cost too much. Then we head out and make our way to the Basilicom. While on the way there, Noire hums some kind of tune. I don't know what the song is at all, but it looks to me that she's enjoying herself, so I paid it no heed.

~0~0~0~

When we reach the Basilicom and arrive at the floor where Noire's place is supposedly be, Uni stops whatever she was doing, wiping something that resembled something similar to the weapon she used against that giant spider, and greets both of us.

"Welcome back," Uni says. "Well, I guess it's not 'back' in your case."

"Can't deny that," I say. "Though, the city was overwhelming. Is it fine if I take a seat?"

She nods and shows me the couch she was sitting on earlier. After I settle in, Uni goes back to wiping her weapon. As she does, she sings a tune similar to the one Noire just did earlier. Is it popular here or do they just like it that much?

"What are you humming?" I ask.

"Huh?" Uni stops wiping again. "O-oh, uhm, i-it's a song Noire and I sang a long time ago together."

"What's it called?" Have to hand it to her, it sounds catchy. And fitting to the both of them.

"Sh- _Sham Cold Girls_ . . ." Her whisper was barely a whisper at all.

"What d'you say?"

"I-it's called _Sham Cold Girls_ , okay?! Hmph!" She looks away, pouting.

A bead of sweat rolls down my forehead as I try to find out the reason why she's acting like the way she's doing right now. But nothing comes to mind. I know I said I didn't have any big plans to get closer to them, but I don't mean this.

Instead of asking any further, in the meantime, I hop out of the couch and wander around the room. It's quite roomy in here, honestly.

"I need to take something downstairs," Noire announces. "It won't take long, but feel free to look around here." I'm sure that statement is directed towards me.

Regardless, I was planning to look around anyway. A quick rest on the couch was enough to get me going again.

It's something I learned from Neil, only I learned it backwards, if that's even a thing. Basically, since his job is the head butler, it's a good idea to sit still and rest up whenever you can. And only get back to work when you feel like you can actually breath again like any other normal person would.

What he said did make sense, but I'm not really someone who likes to idle around too much when I finish something that needs doing.

Anyway, I kind of got too excited on looking around the whole place that I tripped and fell forward to some kind of black table with some drawers on it. However, the things hanging on the ceiling are the ones that caught my attention.

Just like the one Uni is wiping with a dry white cloth, there are multiple ones like it.

"Say, Uni," I point at the wall, "what are those things? I've seen you use one of these before, but don't even know what it is."

She lets out a giggle and walks to my side. "They're called guns, caveman."

"Guns, huh. Got a nice ring to it."

Uni grabs one that has some kind of scope on it and takes something out. "Nothing in the magazine . . . okay." She then pulls something on the side that makes a loud _click_ and then takes a position.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Getting a good aim. Keep steady and . . ." She pulls a trigger on her right index finger that makes a small _click_ instead, "Bullseye. Here, why don't you try it?" She hands me the gun after pulling the side again.

I try to imitate how she did it, but I'm not even sure if I'm getting it right at all.

"Pfft. What are you even doing? That's not how you hold it." She stands beside me and adjust the gun position. "First of all, you were holding it backwards. Pfft . . ."

"I get it, I get it. There's no need to rub it in on me."

She shows me how to hold it in place, looking through the scope with one eye, correct breathing, and other stuff. Honestly, it's hard to get all of what she's saying in my head, but I try to not to fall behind. I'm not going to let myself be a laughingstock any longer.

"Lastly, just pull the trigger with your index finger. That should be easy enough." I nod as she finishes.

"Steady and . . ."

 _Bang!_

The moment I pull the trigger, it pushes me backwards with a strong force that it makes me hit the floor with my back. Before I even reach the ground, the sound of glass shattering resonates around the room as well. When I collect myself and rub my head, there is a small hole on one of the windows with some of the shards below it.

"Ah, crap," Uni says, grabbing the gun from my hand. "I thought for sure there was no ammo in the magazine."

I cough. "Well, that was a nice experience." And here I thought I wouldn't be a laughingstock anymore.

Uni pulls out the magazine and toss it to the couch. She then returns the gun back where she grabbed it from. "Didn't think there'd be any defectives," she mutters. She keeps her back towards me, remaining still, then sighs.

"Welp," I get to my feet, "any brooms around here?"

"There's one in the closet over there." She points at the direction, not bothering to turn around.

I follow the direction she was pointing and find a broom along with other cleaning materials I've never seen or heard of before. Regardless, I grab the dustpan as well and start sweeping the shards of glass.

As I sweep the remaining shards, Uni sighs again. She must be bothered from what happened.

"Uni, it's all right," I say. "I'm not mad about it."

She shakes her head. "No, that's not it."

"What do you mean?"

Right as the words come out of my mouth, Noire comes back. Not sure if it's a good timing though.

"Hey, I'm back—What happened?" Noire's stares at me with her eyes wide open.

"Sorry," I say. "I kinda broke your window. Don't worry, I'll clean it all up. Don't mind me; I prefer to do something than not anyway."

"If you say so . . ."

"Hey, Sis?" Uni suddenly speaks up. "Mind if I head to my room for now?"

"What's this about all of a sudden." Noire crosses her arms. "All right, you did fine today. Go ahead and take the day off."

"Thanks . . ." With that, she heads off through a door, most likely her room.

Now I'm sure she was completely bothered about what happened. But there's nothing I can do about it, though. She's in her own private quarters and I can't just barge in there.

Before anything else though, I better clean up my mess first.


	27. Pursuit

**Chapter 27**

 _Pursuit_

Uni came out of her room, shifting her head from left to right, some sweat was forming on her forehead, to see if anyone was around. Fortunately for her, there was no one.

She heaved a sigh and then fixed her focus towards the balcony where most of the lights were out. When she took a step outside, the biting wind crashed on her skin and sent prickles on her whole body, but she didn't have the least care to worry about that.

Then she accessed her HDD form, enabling her the ability to fly, and that's what she was hoping for.

After glancing around and behind her, she kicked the ground and flew out of the Basilicom.

With how deserted the city looked like at that hour, she was certain that no one would be able to notice her during her flight. She gripped her hands, knowing full well what awaits her, but that didn't stop her from moving forward. Cowering back in fear was the last thing on her mind.

However, even though she was expecting no one to notice her, there was but one person who saw her, and that person just finished scaring off some thugs who thought they could mess with him.

"Hm? Was that the so-called CPU?"

"Follow her." A voice behind him commanded. With how abrupt the voice spoke to him while he was in thoughts, he threw his mace towards the source, only to have it miss.

"Oh, it's just you. What, you tellin' me to follow that?" He pointed a finger at Uni, who was getting farther each second.

"That's an order, Ragnor."

This time, one fast disc was sent hurling towards Ragnor, but he remained unfazed. When the disc was about to hit him, it took a sharp turn to the wall nearby and scraped it. However, it didn't just leave a scar; a small portion of the wall froze releasing a breath that can freeze anything it touches.

He scratched his head, picked up the mace he threw, and smashed a nearby trash bin to bits. "Just so y'know, I ain't gonna be responsible if anything happened t'her."

"Do as you please. However, if you encounter any—"

"Yeah, yeah, those things? I'll step in if there're any." With his final remark, he strolled away. There was no reason for him to turn around anymore and just continue to follow the direction where Uni went.

Because whoever gave him orders won't be there anymore.

~0~0~0~

"What are you looking at?" I ask Noire, who had her eyes fixed on a piece of paper on her hand. She has her finger on her chin as well. My curiosity gets me and peeks at the paper. "Unknown cause of death?"

Noire sighs, placing the paper down on the table and says, "It must be the same culprit that Histoire said."

My forehead forms wrinkles. I shake my head before grabbing the paper myself. A picture is attached on it: A dead body laid in some kind of alleyway that's without a doubt here in Lastation.

I still have some unfinished business with this culprit. One being Neptune accusing me, even though she doesn't know that it's me yet, and two for attacking IF.

Lowering the paper back at the table, I ask, "Are we going to do about it?"

Noire shrugs, stands from her seat, and goes to her own table where the computer is. Turning it on, she types something and multiple sites show the same pictures of the dead body. She grunts, but clicks on another picture that had a bit of the culprit's figure.

"Look here," she says.

The was standing on top of the corpse, and instead of the alleyway, it was on the streets. There was one thing about the photo that I took notice, however. Specifically, the buildings nearby.

"Isn't that Passe?" I ask.

"Seems so. This picture was taken last night, so it's just recent. We should go and see Chian. She might know something about this." She closes the computer and walks towards the elevator, but I call out to her, making her halt her steps. "What? Any problems?"

I shake my head. "What about Uni? Shouldn't we bring her with us?"

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." She approaches the door to Uni's room and knocks three times. "Uni! You there? We're heading to Passe. Come with us."

But there's no answer.

Mumbling to herself, Noire knocks again, this time hitting the door harder than before. Yet there is still no answer coming from the other side. At this point, I'm already standing beside Noire and grab the door knob. It twists without restraint.

"You go in," I say.

"Well look at you, being a complete gentleman," she scoffs. "Just don't go peeking inside, okay?" She enters the room and closes the door behind her.

She said I was being a gentleman about it, but really, I just didn't want to have something weird happen when I do try to go in. It's something I learned the hard way when I was at Soleil Castle. Specifically, the Princess' younger sister.

I won't go further into it because the thought still sends a shiver down my spine. Let's just say a certain treasure room got a nice shine to it after I was done with it.

Crossing my arms, the door bursts open, causing me to stumble backwards.

"She's not here," Noire says.

"Not here? What do you mean? I haven't seen her go out yet. And I was up a lot earlier than you two."

"It means what it means, idiot. Maybe she just went out or something."

"Well," I close the door to Uni's room, "guess we'll just have to go without her then. Either way, let's get going. Who knows? Maybe she's already there."

"Maybe," Noire starts off to the elevator. "Hurry or I'll leave you."

"Right behind you."

She presses the button on the elevator and both of us make our way to Passe after reaching the ground floor. Noire's pace is faster than how she usually goes for, but my mind was more focused on where Uni could've gone.

Reaching the street where Passe is, Chian is standing outside of the building and stretching her arms. Noire quickens her pace again. When Chian notices us, she smiles and gives us a wave.

"Wasn't expecting you two to be early," she says. "Wanna grab a bite?"

Noire shakes her head. "We're not here for that."

"You're not?"

"No, she's lying," I say. "We haven't had breakfast yet."

"Sh-shut up! Of course, I'm not—" There was a grumble, most likely Noire's since her face goes red and her hands clutch her stomach. She grunts.

Chian lets out a laugh. "Let's go fill your stomachs first before anything else."

She lets us in and pick seats. I actually kind of like the area where the stool is so I sit there again. Noire does the same thing and claims a seat next to mine.

"What'll you two have?"

"I'll have some salad, if it's possible," I say. "Oh, and some coffee as well."

"Like the one from two days ago?" I nod. "Alright, a salad and coffee for you. What about you, Noire? Anything you fancy?"

"Hmm, guess I'll have the same as Maki's."

"'Kay, two salads and coffee it is then." She chuckles. "You two going on a diet or something?"

"Not really," I say. "I'm a vegetarian, so a salad shouldn't be surprising."

"That's a lie," Noire retorts. "You had steak yesterday!"

"That was yesterday. Today, I'm a vegetarian."

"What's that even supposed to mean?!"

"Exactly what it means."

Chian leaves for the kitchen and after a while she returns with the two salads on a tray. However, there are no coffee anywhere with the tray. Just two glasses of water.

"Sorry, seems I forgot to stock up some coffee. Is that a'right?"

I sigh. "Well, we're not really here to have some leisure time anyway. We're just here to ask you if you saw the dead body in front of your shop last night."

She shakes her head. Something is telling me that she doesn't have the answers we're looking for.

"Nope, was fast asleep the whole night."

"Figures. Well, thanks anyway." Noire takes a bite of her salad. "By the way, did you happen to see Uni around? She didn't go here, did she?"

Chian shakes her head again. "Nuh-uh. You two are the only people who comes to my shop this early in the morning." Placing an elbow on the table, she pulls a small piece of paper from one of her pockets and shoves it on the table towards us.

"What's this?" I say while taking the paper and biting another lettuce at the same time.

"Hoo, glad I remembered it. Someone actually came by here earlier before you two actually. It was some guy with black hair. Might be an adventurer or something. Anyway, he left this to me before he left and said to give it to the CPU."

"To me?" Noire takes the paper from my hand and unfolds it.

"What's written in there?" I ask, leaning over to get a better look. The handwriting is decent enough to read. The moment Noire scans the paper, she pulls it closer to her like there was something she couldn't see or understand and reading it over and over again.

It reads:

 _The abandoned factory near the borders of Lowee._

There's nothing else written there but that. Whoever wrote this must want to get straight to the point.

"What's this supposed to be?" Noire asks.

"Dunno," I answer. "Although, what if it's the culprit we've been looking for? This might be our chance." Then I won't have to worry about being accused anymore.

She crumples the paper and throws it at a nearby trash bin. "It's way too easy. It's obviously a trap."

"Guess you're right. How should we approach this then?"

"Lady Black Heart! Lady Black Heart!" One of the people in the Basilicom comes bursting through the front door and falls to his knees the moment he reaches us. He takes a few seconds to catch his breath and stand again.

"What's wrong?" Noire asks.

"We've received reports of Lady Uni being captured inside an abandoned factory."

Noire's eyes widen and grabs the man by his collar and says, "The one near Lowee?!" The man gulps and nods. He falls to his bottom the moment she releases him from her clutches. "We're heading there. Now."

She pulls on my sleeve. "Hold on, what about payment?"

Chian laughs and says, "Don't'cha worry about that. I'll just tab the Basilicom or something. You worry about rescuing Uni."

Slamming the door open, Noire dashes for the plains outside the city. I follow her after closing the door. Although I'm tailing her, she's nowhere around. Since there's still not many people around, I opt to jump from building to building again until I spot her.

It goes on like that until both of us reach outside. It might be a good idea to rush there in general.

But I still don't get how Uni got captured.

~0~0~0~

Pulling out my pocket watch, it tells me that we've been running for about an hour or so. It's actually surprises me how far the city is from the factory near Lowee's border. The path was mostly straight forward, meaning we didn't pass through any forests this time.

Just as we're about to reach the factory doors, Noire stops and grabs a single black ribbon with white stripes hanging on a tree branch. When she gets it free, she squeezes it on her hand.

"This is the one Uni uses," Noire says.

"Then she must be nearby. I hate to say this, but I think she's inside that building over there." I point at the factory.

Rusts, vines and moss hug the walls, the glass on the windows around are shattered the same way a rock would hit it. Except it could have been a boulder instead. The colors were mostly gray and black. This factory is quite dull if I have to be honest, like a house of a horror doll. I shake my head to keep focus.

Noire pushes open the large door, giving this ear-piercing screech that might burst my eardrums. I cover my ears until after she finishes opening it and follow her inside.

The inside isn't so different from how it is outside. The same dull colors just with some pipes going across the room, plants lingering around the floor, it makes me wonder how they're able to survive this kind of atmosphere.

"Stay alert. Monsters could be hiding," Noire warns.

We move forward, giving the area a wary scan as we go along. Honestly, there's nothing else giving noises except for the occasional drip of water somewhere.

"I dunno," I say, "there might not be any monsters around."

"You can't say for sure."

"Yeah, but maybe Uni already took care of them or something? She's capable enough to handle those on her own."

Noire shakes her head. "We can't let our guard down. If Uni's been captured, then the enemy might be stronger than we'd expect. When we do meet them, just make sure to stay out of the way. You'll just slow me down."

"I won't deny that."

Still, it's strange how there's no monsters attacking us. This may as well be an actual abandoned factory at this rate. It's nothing more than a building left to rot and be forgotten.

"There," Noire points at another door.

It still makes the same creaking noise as the first door. But just as she got the door half-way open, my ears catch a _whoosh_ on the wind that's stronger than the usual. Alarms ring on my head and I tackle Noire to the ground, making the flying object miss and hit the nearby wall instead.

"Ugh, who's there?!" Noire demands and get back to her feet. I did the same.

"Shut up. The noise just pissed me off." The thing that almost hit us was actually a spiked metal ball. With the chains attached to it, it retracts back where it came from. Then, a figure of a man walks out of the door.

My body freezes as he comes into view. The blue hair, fur cape, and most of all the Terra Crest glowing on his arm. There's no mistaking him.

"Ragnor?! What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Ah? Well if it isn't the infamous Sword Dancer." He places his mace on his shoulder to rest on. "Took you long enough. D'ya know how boring it was waiting around here?"

Noire turns to me, her face stern and stiff. "Do you know him?"

"Sort of. What are you doing here?"

A large robot jumps out from the side and attacks Ragnor. However, just before the robot could do anything, he destroyed it and its body scatters like a vase getting hit with a rock.

"Bah, what a pain," Ragnor complains. "Look, 'she' told me to wait for you here, see?"

"You don't mean . . ."

He smirks. A shadow looms around his eyes and he nods. My hands tighten, but it's not because of him. It was because it had something to do with 'it'.

Noire materializes her rapier, but I put a hand up to her.

"What are you doing?" Noire asks. "He's an enemy, isn't he?"

I shake my head. "He won't attack us."

"How are you so sure?"

"Easy," Ragnor interjects. "My orders were to follow a little girl with black hair. There was nothing about attacking anyone."

"What do you mean? Who gave you those orders?"

"Are all black-haired bitches this much of an idiot? Like I'll tell you who it is. I'm just here for one thing, but I can't move forward because of a certain jackass blocking my way."

"And you expect us to help?"

"Think you have a choice? Your little girly friend is behind this door. What d'you say?" He smirks again and lets out a menacing laugh.

Noire grits her teeth, her fist raised while fighting the urge to hit him.

I place a hand to her shoulder.

"Let's go with him for now," I suggest. "He won't attack us, I swear. If he did anything, I'll hold responsible, okay?"

She drops her hands and lets out a sigh. "Fine, but I'm not trusting him." She walks past Ragnor towards the door behind him and disappears. I follow her after scratching my head.

Ragnor grabs my shoulder, however, preventing me from moving forward.

"What?" I ask.

"Just thought I'd let you know before we head in there." Instead of his usual bored face, it becomes stern that a joke would be a bad idea. "There's a thing called a Killachine at the very end of the place."

"Okay? And? What about it?"

I shove his hand off and make my way towards the door, but his next words were able to ensnare my feet and send a prickle down my spine.

"The _Ethereal Mark_. It has it."

* * *

 **A/N: Didn't have this for a while. Anyway, there's not really much for me to say since I only have a few things to say, well, maybe just one thing really.**

 **Now I can't guarantee a stable upload schedule like the one during summer break. Too many thing's been going on.**

 **Well, that's just about what I need to say. See you when I get the next chapter out.**


	28. The Divinity Pendant

**Chapter 28**

 _The Divinity Pendant_

It took a few drops of water nearby to let his words sink in. My mouth opens, but no words come out. Something inside me wells up; one sole question swirls in my head, and the more answers I make from it, the less sense it makes. Ragnor can't even recite a proper incantation; Sylvie focused most of her efforts in potion-making, even though we lived in the same village. And not a single person in Gamindustri would know what the Mark is in the first place.

"Are you certain about that?" I ask as if I didn't hear the first time.

"I know what I saw," Ragnor spits. "There's no mistaking it. Now ya see why I was waitin' for ya? Damn thing just won't give unless you do something about it."

"But _how_?!"

He shifts his gaze towards the ceiling, then looks back at me without moving his head. My fists tighten. When he does that gesture, it only means one 'thing' and it twists the very depths of my stomach. That one time when Uni fought that spider was an exception, and I've already had enough troubles just to use 'it' to get out of the unavoidable situation. But no matter how dire the situation becomes, no matter if someone breaks my arms, no matter what, the incantations will never escape my mouth.

"Simple," Ragnor says in a matter-of-fact tone. "Look, I know you ain't gonna use 'it' no matter how I try, and I ain't dumb, see?"

"Then, what do we do? What do _I_ do?"

Instead of answering, he points at the area around my neck. "I know that stuck-up little bitch gave ya the pendant."

Grabbing the pendant from underneath my coat, it shimmers silently as it rests on my hand. But my mind still boggles some unanswered questions. The Divinity Pendant—the wonders of its mysterious powers to drain anyone's main source of energy. Not only does it drain magic, it also steals a much more valuable thing than that. Even someone's own life force. However, not just anyone can wield this pendant. But to know how to at least use its drain ability doesn't involve anything too tricky, that even an adept magician can do it. In fact, I taught Ragnor how to use part of it—mostly the absorbing part—but not the deadlier ones.

"What of it?" I ask.

"I dunno," he shrugs. "Figure it out for yourself."

"Wha—" His answer caught me off guard and surprised me. But my face grows hot quickly after. As the top and bottom part of my teeth grinds against each other, I grab the fur around the collar area of his silver cape. "Ragnor, this is _serious_! Noire and I won't be able to handle that thing, and neither can you!"

"Yeah, no shit, genius. Unless _you_ do something about it. Now, get off me!" He shoves me away. I glare and walk past him, but stop for a moment before entering the next room.

"You _are_ going to help us, aren't you?"

"Orders are orders."

"Whatever." I sigh and run to catch up to Noire. Ragnor follows behind me. However, I disregard any questions for him and give all my focus in my run while also looking around to see if Uni is around the area.

"That little girlie is at the very end," Ragnor says. "Better hurry or else ya ain't gonna like what'll happen."

"Just can it."

I continue to scan around the area, despite Ragnor's constant ramble about wasting my time. Like earlier at the entrance, no monsters linger around. Whether it's because of Noire or Uni, it's beyond me. Not long after turning to another corner of the hallway, another large metal door awaits us at the end. I break into a dash.

Slamming onto the doors to stop my momentum—it makes a loud _twong_ —I swing the two doors open and they crash onto the walls.

And it was that exact moment when something fast hit me and threw me onto the wall behind. Unfortunately, Ragnor dodged it in time. However, once I collect myself, the thing that crashed me was actually Noire in her HDD form. Ragnor didn't hide his laughter at the sight continues to do so for a while longer.

"Man, I knew ya'll fail an' all, but this's just plain gold!" He laughs again.

"Ugh, you okay, Noire?" I ask. Though a part inside me itches to punch a certain guy standing nearby, but the force that blew Noire away caught more of my attention.

"Tch, I almost had it even." She pushes herself up, ignoring my question, and flies toward the giant machine inside the room.

"Noire, wait! Damn . . ." I pick myself up and rush in to follow Noire.

I ran straight ahead, but then had to go off-course to dodge an incoming axe from the Killachine. It must've missed Noire, but that was way too close for comfort. "Hey, at least make sure it doesn't hit any stray!" I shout at her.

"Sh-shut up!" Noire retorts. "Just go and find Uni! I'll deal with this."

The Killachine swings its mace towards Noire, but gets deflected with another ball of spike. "Hey, don't forget 'bout me, ya piece o' shit!" Ragnor yells. "Just get that little girlfriend of yours outta here."

"She's _not_ my girlfriend and you know it!"

Ragnor throws his mace towards the Killachine again and wraps it in his weapon's chains. Noire takes this chance to strike it. And as for me, I use this chance to slip through to the other side of the room. With the Killachine's full attention is on the two, I'm able to find another metal door—this time smaller—and enter without a problem.

"Uni? You in here?" I take a few steps forward but dash the moment I find Uni's body on the ground. "Wake up!" I shake her shoulders and soon enough, she opens her eyes and groans as though she woke up from a bad sleep.

"Huh? Where am I?"

"In a factory. Hate to break it to you, but we need to get out of here."

"Maki? What are you doing here?"

"No time to explain! Can you walk?" She nods. "Good, let's get out of here. I doubt Noire is gonna last, even with Ragnor's help." My hand clutched on her hand, I drag her out the room and back where Noire and Ragnor are. As we pass through the door, something crashes onto the wall near us. "You okay there?"

Noire picks herself up. "Ugh, don't worry. This isn't enough to stop me." Her eyes lit up when she spots her sister with me. "Uni, you're safe. That's good. I hate to admit this, but I can't hold that thing much longer. Our only option is to run."

I nod. "Wait, where's Ragnor?" The entire room contains nothing but the giant Killachine in front. Not even a single strand of his blue hair nor a piece of fur from his coat.

"He left the moment you went past that thing!"

After I facepalm, I shove Uni to dodge the Killachine's axe. The smoke from the impact forces me to cough. "In any case, we need to get out. Don't think about fighting that thing. Just run!"

They nod and we make our way out the door, while we try to avoid the Killachine's attacks in the process. Although we're out, the damn thing gives chase, its vigorous speed shows no signs of slowing down. No matter how fast we flee—Uni decided to go HDD as well and fly with Noire—but even then, the machine still tails us, and the gap between us continue to shorten. Not only that, the Killachine rampages even more than earlier. A one-line run loses its viability the closer it gets, and we're forced to take evasive maneuvers. But it doesn't end there. Lasers miss us from behind, but it causes debris to drop on us. How many weapons does this thing have?

"We're almost out!" Noire says, pointing at the entrance.

"Look out!" Uni shouts as both her and her sister ducks to avoid the Killachine, its whole mechanical body passes the three of us overhead.

At that moment, none of us makes an effort to go for the exit. The entrance—and our only exit—disappears from our sights as the Killachine takes its place instead, and it remains steady, its eyes gleamed as it towers us.

But another thing catches my attention. Sure enough, just as Ragnor said earlier, the outline of an Ethereal Mark engraves the lower part of its torso. The Ethereal Mark is the same three yellow circles, which overlapped each other, I placed on the apple tree I used to demonstrate to Compa. These two sisters might not know what it is or what it means, but I do. And it won't fall unless magic hits it. But not just any magic. Only _pure_ magic can do it.

"What do we do now?" Uni asks.

"What else?" Noire replies. "We're gonna have to force our way through. Follow my lead!"

The two sisters clash with the Killachine head on, but the moment Noire block the mace, the force flings her to yet another wall. Uni shoots it, but it remains unfazed from their attacks. Then the Killachine lands a blow on her that forces her to the ground.

"Khh . . . It wasn't this strong earlier." Noire says. "How are we going to beat it?"

I look at the two of them, then to the Killachine, and then the pendant hanging on my neck. "I've got an idea. Listen, prepare to land a killing blow on it. Both of you."

Uni picks herself up and rubs her head. "Are you going to do like what you did back then?" I didn't answer her and just sprint towards the Killachine. "Maki, are you crazy?! That thing's stronger than us! Get back here!"

"Just get ready!"

As I approach the Killachine, it smashes its axe down to me. I dodge it, but the impact makes pushes me. I regain my footing and latch onto its other arm where the mace is. It shoots out lasers randomly in response.

I take off the pendant on my neck once I get a good grip on the machine's arm. The gem glows a bright light as I clutch it tightly in my hand.

"Are you two ready to go?!"

"Yeah!" Noire replies.

Without any more delays, I raise the pendant in the air.

" _I call upon thy ubiquity of unseen streams. Seep the poison that ingrains within the veins of the blighted!_ " I let go of the pendant and let it float up in the air. " _Link Break_!"

The gem on the pendant shatters into dusts of pieces and envelops the Killachine. Noire and Uni stare at the sight with their mouths agape. But what they probably don't notice is the glow of the Ethereal Mark disappearing. With this, the Killachine can be destroyed.

"Hit it now!" I shout at the two sisters.

They both shake their heads to shake off their trance and attack. I let go of the arm I'm holding onto and roll on the ground. Uni then shoots a large beam from her gun while Noire swoops in and slash the torso. With both of their attacks colliding at the same time, the Killachine blows up and dissipates into particles.

I sigh and stand up. After defeating the enemy, the gem on the pendant reforms back to its original state. But when I snatch it in the air, the glow on it is brighter than earlier.

"What did you—" I put up a hand to stop her.

"Before you ask anything, let's get back to the Basilicom first. I'm sure you've got a lot of questions."

"Alright, but can you at least tell us why we can't finish those monsters off without whatever you just did? It just makes no sense. Why can't we defeat them like usual?"

I shrug and sigh. "Like I said. Wait until we get back."

"Fine . . ."

I can understand why they're upset, but I can't just casually tell them, "I'm the only one who can defeat them" because one: I _can't_ defeat them on my own, and two: the reason for the Ethereal Mark to appear in the first place is beyond me. And that's the sole question running around my head on the whole trip back to the Basilicom.

Who cast the Ethereal Mark in the first place?

~0~0~0~

Outside of factory where the trio: Maki, Noire and Uni went out from, Ragnor made his way through the trees and bushes in front of him after witnessing what happened in the factory—specifically, the Divinity Pendant.

A branch he pushed aside quickly retracted to his face. "Why you little . . .!" He snapped the branch in two with his hand then smirks.

"Did it work?" A voice asked him.

It was a voice he knew too well, and hearing it popped a vein on his head. "I know you saw it for yourself." The voice talking did not reveal or appear to him. He knows why, but he also knows it's a big pain. "Well? What's my next orders then?"

"Remain on standby for now. I'll be the one to do the next step."

Ragnor was actually surprised for once. He wasn't expecting to get on standby so soon and thought of the things he'd complain when she gave him new orders. But that didn't matter anymore.

"Ya sure?" he asks.

"I'm sure. Now leave! There's still much to prepare."

He heard the leaves above him rustle. The person talking to him was gone again. Scratching his head, he wanders through the bushes and leaves once again.


	29. Unbecoming

**Chapter 29**

 _Unbecoming_

By the time Noire, Uni and I reach the Basilicom, Uni rushes to her room without any warning and almost knocks off my balance and make me hit the floor. Just before I get a chance to ask Noire what that was about, her little sister comes back out of her room, slams the door behind her, leans her back on it, and heaves a long sigh. When her crimson eyes meet my only exposed purple eye, she breaks the lock between us. Our stare didn't even last half a second. Brushing some hair on her bangs, she strides towards the kitchen. "I'll make some tea," she says and disappears through a doorway.

My head turns to the person in twin-tails behind me, Noire, to which her cheeks grow a shade of red and asks, "Wh-what? Is there something on my face?"

I shake my head and scratch a finger on the ridge of my nose. "Nothing. Just . . . nevermind."

Noire tilts her head but didn't say anything. With a flick of one of her twin-tails, she walks to her computer and picks up a piece of document from one of the neat piles on her desk (though not as thick as Neptune's). And although I try to talk to her while she's doing that, she doesn't do so much as bat an eye, so instead I sit on the couch and take my white coat off. The wind tickles my skin with its icy caress.

A loud _clang_ comes from the direction where Uni went. Noire gets up from her seat after the sound fades and set the document on her hand down, but I tell her, "I'll check on her." And heave myself to stand.

"I thought you were going to tell us about that pendant of yours?" Noire asks.

"I am. But I'm sure Uni also wants to hear it as well. Wait here while I go check on her. Although, I'll tell you this right now, but you might not understand what it is even after I explain it all to both of you."

"We'll see about that." She sits again and I head for the kitchen.

I've only been at the kitchen a few times. Usually, I'd be out on a quest at Lastation's Guild (after I found it not too long ago) or stroll around the different parts of the city. However, it didn't take long for me to find Uni, her hand outstretched and underneath the running water of the faucet. Instead of asking her what happened, I pick up the kettle on my feet and place it on the nearby table. However, it takes little to no effort to lift the kettle. And when I take its lid off, the heat slaps my face.

But no steam flows out.

"Everything all right here?" I ask.

"Yeah," Uni says without looking at me.

I would bring up a question, but it might not be a good idea right now, since we did just get her out of that abandoned factory. Racking my brain, I try to find a topic we can talk about, but nothing comes to mind. So instead, I say, "Head to the living room once you wish to know what the pendant is."

I proceed to leave but . . .

"Wait," Uni says while still not bothering to turn around.

One of my feet lifted in the air stops midway. After I set it back on the floor, I ask her, "What is it? Need something?"

"No . . . it's nothing. I'll be out in a bit."

"All right." Even though Noire tells me to let her be even when she acts all strange, I'm not exactly familiar which part of her is actually quite normal to the others. But it's her older sister, and I'm sure she knows what she's talking about.

Now I actually make my way back to the living room couch. But when I did, Noire sits there with another girl but with short white hair. Her clothes show similarities to the description Uni told me about their Oracle, Kei Jinguji, wears most of the time—a black suit with silver linings, same colored shorts, and a blue tie. When they both notice me, Noire motions me to come closer.

"Are you Kei?" I ask.

"That's me," she says. "Red hair, a purple eye, an eye patch . . . You seem to match the details." I raise an eyebrow. Match what details? "Tell me, are you in any way related to Falcom?"

"Falcom? No, I don't. I've never met that person."

"I see."

"Why do you a—"

"You've heard of the situation here, haven't you?" She hands me the picture with the dead body in front of Passe Noire gave me earlier. After a nod, I give it back to her.

At the back of my mind, the situation about how I found IF lying on the streets and me being a witness and accused almost slips through my tongue, but I stop before the words reach the tip. What will happen if I tell them about it? No one knows that I witnessed her lying, almost dead even, on the streets, except for Neptune, but she doesn't know that I'm the one she saw.

"Were you the one who did this?" Kei asks.

"What?"

"Kei, what are you talking about?" Noire asks.

"For all we know," she replies, "it's possible that he's the causes of these incidents. Think about it. The dead bodies and injuries started happening on the day after Histoire spoke of a man from another dimension."

"I'm telling you, I'm not the one who did those."

"And how are you sure about that? It makes sense, doesn't it? Where were you last night?"

"I was . . ." I can't just tell her Noire and I have been spending most of the nights making cosplays and whatnot. Even if she's the so-called Oracle, I'm not sure if I can just blurt it out even if it's someone she knows.

"Well? Don't you have anything to say about it?"

"Kei, that's enough," Noire speaks up. "He was with me these past few days and he never left the Basilicom during the night."

"Is that right? Then what did he do here during those nights?"

"H-he was helping with some . . . stuff."

"Is that so?" Kei shifts her eyes to the wristband on Noire's left wrist to which she quickly hides it behind her back. Did she forget to take that off this entire time? How did I not see that until now? A small smile forms on her face. "It was just a theory anyway. Just think of it as some kind of joke."

"If it's supposed to be funny, well, I'm not laughing," I say.

She chuckles. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Uni comes out of the doorway behind me, with her hands buried underneath a small hand towel and rubs with it. "Huh? Kei? Did I miss anything?"

I place a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing. You didn't miss anything."

She tilts her head and raise her brows. "What's he talking about?"

"Don't worry about it," Noire says. "Anyway Kei, are you going to stick around?"

She shakes her head. "Ganache wished to speak to me about someone wanting to open a business here in Lastation. I was supposed to meet with him earlier, but I got curious about the 'red hare' Neptune kept on mentioning when I was on a video call with Histoire. Anyway, I'll be taking my leave." She starts toward the elevator and leaves the two sisters and I alone in this room again.

"After the last bit of strand on her hair gets out of our field of vision, I scratch my head and drop on the couch. I take my pendant hanging around my neck and place it on the table in front with the picture of the culprit and dead body from earlier.

Noire and Uni did the same, and as they claim the other parts of the couch, I say, "Well, as promised, ask what things you want to know about the pendant. Although, you can ask anything about me as well if you want to."

"A-anything?" Uni asks and I nod to her question. "Then can I ask first?"

"Ask away."

"Can you dance? Everyone was saying you were some kind of dancer. Can you?" I stare at her with my mouth slightly agape. "Y-you don't have to answer it! N-not like I care." She looks away from me.

"N-no, it's alright. It just caught me off guard for a moment. But can you tell me where this is coming from?"

"No reason. I was just . . . no, no, no, nevermind. Forget I even asked!"

I sink and flop my arms on the back of the couch. "Why d'you ask though? Did you want me to teach you? If you really wanted to, I can give you some simple stuff to practice on."

"R-really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Th-then I'll think about it, okay?"

"Whatever you say. Anything else you wanna ask?"

Noire places a finger on her chin. "Have you ever been in a relationship?" What's with their questions?! "D-don't get the wrong idea! I'm only asking for a f—"

"I hear you, I hear you!" I wipe the sweat on my forehead with my backhand. "To answer your question, no, I've never been to relationship."

"I-I see . . ."

"Ahem, anything else you wanna know?"

They take some time to come up with questions, humming to themselves as they did, and Uni finally asks, "Have you ever kissed someone?"

The table in front literally flies for a split second plus a beating pain on my foot. "I thought you two wanted to know more about the pendant?!" Also, what makes them think that someone who never got into a relationship ever kissed someone? Is that a thing here? Do people just kiss someone just for the heck of it?

"W-well yeah, but you said we could ask anything we want."

"I know I said that, but aren't those more personal questions? I mean, I don't mind them, but it's just weird coming from you two."

"L-like I said!" Noire retorts, "We're only asking for a f—"

"Ah right, right! You're asking for someone else. I get it, but no, I've never kissed anyone before. Now, can we move on to other questions? Something like . . ." I motion my eye towards the Divinity Pendant lying steady on the table. Although, it does make me question who this um . . . 'person' they're talking about.

"Yeah alright." Maybe now we can move onto something less personal. "Is that Ragnor guy your father—"

"No."

"Okay . . .? Noire coughs. "It's been bothering me for a while now, but that Killachine was on a whole different level than the normal ones we've encountered in the past. But that one, no matter how much I attack it or hit it with everything I had, it never even went down. Why is that?"

I heave a long sigh. Not a question about the pendant, but still a good question nonetheless. "That Killachine, as you call it, had the Ethereal Mark."

"Ethereal Mark?"

I nod. "If a monster has that mark, alive or not, they will become immune to any form physical damage.

"So," Uni faces me, "it'll only something like magic can work?"

"Yes and no. Not just any magic can work against it—it has to be _pure_ magic. Otherwise, it'll have an opposite effect."

"But didn't it get stronger even without magic hitting it? What gives?"

"Remember what I said? The effect of the damage will be reversed if it's not pure magic. But what if it's not magic it got hit with?

"You mean it . . ."

"Absorbs physical damage?" Noire finishes Uni's sentence.

I nod again. "Not only that, it converts it into strength. So, what I did was negate that effect entirely with this pendant," I grab the pendant and hold it up for the two to see, "and you know the rest." I hate to admit this, but I still infused it with some of 'it' for it to actually work. Thought that in itself was a gamble. I'm just glad it worked out in the end.

Noire takes the pendant from my hand and inspects it. "How do you use this?"

"You can't. It takes a long time to master it. Not even the best mages or sages can use this."

"Then how come you're able to use it?"

"Simple. My mother created this in a way where it will respond to me and only me." But there are exceptions, as my mother stated as well, but I haven't seen anything of the sort for a long time. Also, the Divinity Pendant does have a mind of its own sometimes and absorbs anything or anyone when it gets thirsty.

"Hmm, can I try using it?" Noire asks.

"Well, I can tell you the incantation and what to do, but I can't guarantee that it'll work for you. Just don't get your hopes up."

"Doesn't matter. Just tell me."

"All right. First, squeeze the gem in your hand as tightly as possible."

She did as instructed. "Now what?"

"Now you recite: _I call upon thy ubiquity of unseen streams_."

". . . What did you say?"

"Did you not hear me the first time? I said: _I call upon thy ubiquity of unseen streams_."

"Yeah I heard you, but I just don't get what you're saying."

"How so?"

"You were talking gibberish," Uni says.

"Gibberish?" Nothing seems gibberish about it to me though. What makes them think I'm talking in gibberish? "All right, I'll say the first few words and maybe you can follow from there. Ahem— _I call_ —Now, what did you hear?"

"I can understand you fine until that one part. Ugh, it doesn't make sense."

"I agree," Uni says. "Is it supposed to be some kind of secret code or something?"

Shrugging, I scratch my head. There's no use in arguing against them if I don't even know what's the main problem is in the first place. Me talking in gibberish doesn't really tell me much.

Noire sets the pendant down on the table and brush a hand to one of her twin-tails. "Well, whatever, not like it matters. Still though, that Ethereal Mark or whatever feels like some kind of cheat. What's worse is _we_ can't do anything about it, but _you_ can."

"And _I_ can't fight them off all by myself like I said before. Cheat or not, it shouldn't be here in the first place."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Only one family known in Lluna is well-known for their capabilities of casting a powerful mark such as that one. But . . ."

"But what?"

"That family no longer exists. So, it shouldn't even be possible for the Ethereal Mark to exist anymore."

"But it's here and it almost caused us a lot of trouble. Well, as long as you're around with that pendant, we should be fine if another one of those things come up again. But it still sucks knowing there's nothing we can do about it unless you have that pendant with you." Or if I use 'it' without any of them noticing, but that option's already out.

Uni reaches out and takes the pendant on the palm of her hands. Surprisingly and also unexpectedly, the gem gleams brighter with each passing second it stays with her. "Whoa . . ."

This also takes me by surprise. Now one's ever gotten it shining like that besides my mother and I.

"Looks like it took a liking to you," I say.

"Liking to me?"

I nod. "I guess there's only one thing to do then." This might actually help them fight against any other marks as long as one of them has the pendant.

"One thing to do?" she looks back and forth from me to Noire.

"Think of it as some kind of gift from me to you." Taking the pendant from her, I wrap the small chains holding the gem around her neck.

"A gift? W-wait, are you giving this to me? But isn't this important to you?"

Shaking my head, I lay a hand on her shoulder. Her face becomes red not long after. "I'll admit, that pendant is indeed the only memory I have of my mother, but I'm sure you'll need it more than I do. And look on the bright side, at least you can finally beat those marked monsters even without me."

"How? I can't make it do the same way you did." She looks down, her head tilting to the side.

"Hrm . . . Good question. But my answer to that is it doesn't matter. As long as you're within range with the monsters with that pendant around your neck, you should be able to take them down no problem. Well, at the very least it won't go the same way with that Killachine."

She looks away, but the small smile on her face can be seen at a specific angle. And at my current position is one of them.

"Th-tha—"

" _IF IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE THAT, THEN I DON'T NEED YOUR STUPID PAPER!_ "

The shout below us cut Uni off and somehow managed to throw the contents on the table out and move almost every furniture around here out of place. The two sisters look at each other, probably confused from the sudden disturbance.

"What . . .?" Noire slowly locks eyes with me.

"Think we should check it out?" I ask. Must be one of those customers with short tempers or just venting out their anger to the authorities or something. There was once something like that in the kingdom, but I'm not sure about this one.

But when Noire and I board the elevator, Uni still stands on her same spot until Noire tells her, "Uni! You coming?"

"A-ah, y-yeah!"

Although the elevator trip down is an uneventful one, I keep glancing at Uni whose attention seem to be somewhere else throughout. Not even making a single sound. The only person I can strike a conversation with is Noire.

And when I try to do the same to Uni, she never responds.


	30. Black, Red, Silver

**Chapter 30**

 _Black, Red, Silver_

Right as the elevator hits an abrupt stop, the sudden impact knocks me off my feet. My hands find the metal wall and stop me from falling to the floor. Seriously, no matter how many times I've ridden in these things, I can't seem to get used to them.

"We're here," Noire says, not waiting for our response and storms off.

"How're you still not used to elevators?" Uni asks.

"Two words: Don't know." And probably never. Who knows? I shake my head, but the gesture makes the whole room spin, so I stop. "In any case, we better follow your sister."

She nods and we follow the direction Noire went. Although, the path is the same first floor we always go through whenever we have businesses outside of the Basilicom. Usually, it's about the Guild, but it can also be about other stuff. But with our slow pace, it didn't take long before Noire's figure to disappears from our sights. As much as I'd want to chase after her, I'm not getting any sense of urgency, and neither does Uni since our pace matches (although it's more so I'm slowing myself down to match her pace). Whatever the commotion was, we won't arrive there for a short while. And by the looks of it, it might be somewhere near or at the entrance where the receptionist is.

However, even after we reach the end of the red mat, not a single word came out of the two of us after we stepped out of the elevator earlier. And the silence is killing me.

"Wonder what that scream was about?" I ask. Might as well start something myself since it's come to this. Even before Noire and I found Uni at the abandoned factory with the Killachine, she hasn't been talking to me much. Her older sister still suggests me to wait it out, but it's been like this for the past few days. I'd be lying if I say it's not getting to me one bit.

"Yeah," she replies. Okay, it's a start, I guess.

"Think it's nothing important? Maybe it's another one of those crazy people."

"Yeah."

"Noire should also take it easy now and then. She sits on her chair way too much."

"Yeah."

"I took a picture of you sleeping last night."

"Yeah."

 _So awkward!_ Can't she at least give me an answer other than 'yeah'? Also, did she not realize the last thing I asked her? Although it wasn't true nor it happened, it's obvious she's not listening to anything that I'm saying. This may not be the same as those times when she blatantly ignored me, but I don't want it to always be like this whenever we talk.

With a sigh, I scratch my head. Nothing I say gets through her. I'd give up, but I don't want that. Maybe I should ask Noire about this.

As we get closer and closer to the entrance, Noire's voice gets louder and clearer. The volume of her voice and tone are raised, so there must be some kind of argument happening. And it's not the happy kind. But once she finishes whatever she was saying, another voice speaks and it's—

"I'm not going to do that just for a stupid paper!"

Sylvie?!

My feet freeze the instant her voice reaches me. Uni takes notice of this from me and asks me what's wrong, but I answer her with, "Go ahead without me. I forgot something upstairs and I need to get back to it."

"Seriously? Can't it wait until later?"

"Nope, it's quite important. Just go ahead. I'll get back soon enough."

"Fine."

I turn around and start back towards the elevator, but after taking a few steps forward I glance behind me to see Uni enter the doorway that leads to the entrance. And once her figure disappears, I turn back and rush towards the same doorway but didn't go through it and lean my back against the walls.

While I don't agree to eavesdrop in general, Sylvie's with them. And I need to know what she's doing here. But still, why is she here in the first place?

"Please, let's calm down for a moment, shall we?" Ganache's voice. Even though I haven't heard him for a while now, it's not hard to figure it out.

"What's going on here?" Uni's voice. There's a pause before her next words. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"That's none of your concern." That's Sylvie's.

I hear a scowl from Uni, but Noire is the one who answers back at her. "There's nothing you can do about it. You need to comply if you want to start a business in my nation. Also, a Synthesis shop? What kind of business would you do anyway? We've got plenty of shops here already."

"Oh yeah. You've got plenty of shops selling some _quality_ potions in your nation's shops." Now the scowl comes from Noire.

"Wh-whatever! If you won't agree to the terms, then there's nothing I can do about it."

"Hmph, whatever. This is becoming such a waste of time." With the sound of the doors opening and closing, Sylvie must've left already. She hasn't changed much after our exchange back in the riverside. And it's relieving. But how am I supposed to face her? I acted all cold towards her and didn't even give her the benefit of the doubt. I want to smack myself, damn it, and maybe even bang my head onto the wall or something. But I need to get in the scene or Uni might get suspicious of me.

After a sigh, I step out and approach them. Other than the three I mentioned earlier; Kei stands with them. Guess it's because she never really spoke when I eavesdropped. But then again, she did say Ganache was expecting her earlier.

"Sorry I took so long. What did I miss?" I ask.

"Nothing much. Just some angry guy complaining about trivial stuff," Uni says.

I frown. Most of what they say next doesn't include any mentions about Sylvie. Of what her purpose was, of what's stopping her from getting it. Instead, they derail the topics to something else completely. What's up with them? Even Ganache and Kei are going along with it. They don't know what happened between me and Sylvie during the picnic. Or is it because of what happened that they can't tell me about it? Either way, it gets on my nerves, but I don't push them about it.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters I need to attend to." Ganache walks past me. "Oh, by the way," he whispers to me, "North 3, East 5, South 1, East 2." He pats me on the shoulder before disappearing completely.

"That was a waste of time and effort," Kei says. She's colder than how I expected her to be at first. "There's still another problem I need to deal with." She disappears the same way where Ganache went.

"Did something happen?" I ask.

"Nothing much like I said," Uni says. "I'm still tired from running from that Killachine. Let's just go back."

I would've agreed if the circumstances were different, but with Sylvie involved that sort of thing won't happen. Also, whatever Ganache whispered to me got me curious. "I'm going out for a bit. I'll go do a quest in the Guild or something." Hopefully, they buy that excuse.

"Hmm. All right, go ahead," Noire says. "We'll just be here if you need us." And with that, I leave.

I plan to head for the Guild to get my mind off of things, but Ganache's words linger in my head. _North 3, East 5, South 1, East 2_. It keeps repeating over and over again that it makes it impossible for me to forget any of it. I don't trust him; in fact, I don't trust him at all. Ever since we talked around Leanbox, there's something around him I can't grasp on. So, I start towards the direction of the Guild.

Only I'm not heading for the Guild. My feet take me North. As much as I hate to do this, it could be related to Sylvie in a way. I don't know. Either way, since I'm already around this part of the city, might as well keep going.

As I turn right on a corner, I bump into another person. How many times am I going to bump into people at every corner? Unlike my exchange with Compa in this situation, none of us hit the ground from the impact. "Oh, sorry," the person I bumped into says, "I wasn't paying attention and didn't see you." Somehow, I'm getting a sense of déjà vu again.

"Don't worry about it. It was my fault as well. If you weren't paying attention, then what were you thinking about . . .?" My mouth can't get any more words out and hangs agape.

"Nothing much. Just relieving some stress from something."

Her voice registers to me quick enough to get me back into my senses. I don't know how or why, but somehow the person in front of me—the person whom I bumped into—is Sylvie.

"Maki . . .?" This is too unexpected, even for me. My initial plan was to find her and check on her, but not talk to her directly. "Didn't expect to see you here. Aren't you supposed to be in Planeptune?"

I don't respond. Or at least, I don't have any ideas what to say to her. If I say something now, what comes out might get me to her bad side. So, it takes a good minute or two before I get anything out. "Just visiting someone I know." Good thing she has some patience. Although, not as long as mine, but still it's better than not.

"Lastation's CPUs?"

I nod. "Enough about that. What are you doing here? Last time I saw you was back at the picnic" I keep any mentions about the events that happened in the picnic out. Even if she still remembers any of it, it might make this whole encounter awkward.

"Nothing much," she replies, "just walking around to get my mind off of something."

 _After that heated argument from the Basilicom, I presume?_ I'm sure it's the case, but she didn't see me back there. So mentioning it here might be a bad idea.

"Wanna walk around?" I ask.

She looks at me for a few seconds before she says, "All right. Let's head this way. There's something I want to show you."

After a good distance of walking, we arrive at a large park. It's quite surprising, seeing all the greenery around here, but I guess Noire did say they started fixing their environmental problems. Other than the luscious grass, the path splits into two ways. Sylvie and I pick the right path. It's not because the path we chose was on a whim though. Right was our usual choice for practically everything. No matter how strange it is. Even if we know left is the right answer, we prefer to experiment what'll happen on the right. Weird, maybe, but we must've gotten so used to it by now that we don't hesitate with the decision at all. We just do.

Benches greet us right beside the road path at equidistant intervals as we pass through. The trees here aren't much, and a large fountain sprinkles its water nonstop around the center of the park. After getting a few good distances further, we are met with a small playground. Unlike Planeptune, children swarm the entire place. Seesaws, monkey bars, slides, and other stuff I've no knowledge of. They leave no space for newcomers.

"This brings back memories," Sylvie says. "Remember that?" She points at a small sandbox filled with children. "You were always there, right under a tree. I still don't get how you're able to stay there all the time."

Not exactly. It was the only safest place I could be without my parents spotting me. They never path there, so that's why.

"Kyle kept on bugging you," she says, "but we were able to talk to you because of that."

That's true. If he didn't bug me as he did back then, I would've ignored them completely. Nothing more than the others. The same people who wouldn't dare bat an eye towards me.

I stop dead on my tracks. She notices and looks back, asking if there's something the matter.

"Sylvie." This catches her attention. Her body turns to face mine. And I tell her with a mix of laughter, "You were the one who got my attention. Kyle did annoy me enough to look up, but you were the one who made me talk."

"Did I?" Her eyes widen and she walks closer to me. "Wait, did you just . . ." Her mouth remains agape as I nod to her. "You . . . don't think I'm an imposter?"

I shake my head. "No, and I'm sorry. I was just . . . surprised, I guess. I mean, it's been so long. And well, you look different from back then. Way different than I'm used to." But I'm glad some things didn't change.

"That goes the same for me, you know? How long have you known?"

"After you slapped me. I'm sure you didn't notice, but when you slapped me, you didn't had your gloves on. But your other hand did. And that's how I knew it was you."

"I don't know. Did I?"

"You did."

"I don't get it. How does that convince you?"

"You always hated touching things directly. And I'm sure you know it's why you always wear gloves. Even when Kyle grabbed your hand, you pulled out of his grasp as if he was the filthiest dirt you've ever seen. But you were never like that when it was me. Although, I am confused on why that's the case. Can you tell me why? It's been in my head ever since."

"A-ah, that. You just had such a white face. It looked clean enough to touch." Is that really the case? Well, I can't exactly comment on that. Back then, my parents never let me look at myself in the mirror. Strange it may be, I know they were trying to hide the fact about 'it'.

"Come," she continues, "we're almost there."

At some point, I consider asking her where she's taking me, but our conversation shifts to our past. The things she never told me before, the things I never told her before, and the things that happened inside each of our families. And it tells me I don't know Sylvie enough. Not even half of it. It's also the same case for Sylvie. When I mention how it's like for me at home, she'd say, "How come you never consider leaving your house then?"

"I told you, my parents would never allow it." Mostly because they have things to do in the house I'm not supposed to know. Also, they wanted me to live my young days at school like the rest of the kids. They're both strict and commanding in a good way.

"But you had to . . ."

"That doesn't matter anymore, you know? Besides, I wouldn't have met you or the other two if I never did."

"True." We stop in front of a two-story building. It's not that large, but it's large enough to match the other common buildings here in the city. Two glass double-doors, glass-paned windows taking up most of the walls in the front, and blue awnings right above them. "Well, here we are."

"Is this . . .?"

"It is what it is. This is where I'm going to start my business." She takes a key out of her pocket and unlocks the glass doors. And the moment she opens them—bags of dust spew out everywhere to the point it's a brownish smoke engulf all over onto my whole body. I stand there, petrified, unable to process the horror erupting before me.

 _Right . . . Sylvie was never the cleaning type._

I resist the urge to facepalm or sigh, heck maybe even both. For someone who hates touching things with her bare hands, it's strange how she's not able to keep her place clean. That question will never be answered when we're talking about Sylvie here. "Uhh, Sylvie? Are you sure this is the right place?"

"It is. Why d'you ask?" That concludes it. A typical Sylvie-style room.

"Is it now? Well, can you explain why the whole place is filthy?" She shrugs and now I facepalm. From the inside pockets of my coat, I pull out detergents, rags, two feather dusters, two brooms, a mop, five dustpans, and sponges. Sylvie remains on her spot, flabbergasted. There's only one thing to do in these situations.

"Er, Maki? What are those for?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're cleaning. Now here, take this feather duster. We'll start by getting rid of the dust in every nooks and cranny we can find. And don't you even _think_ about leaving."

"I-I'd never do that."

"Then," I say as I shove the feather duster and cloth to her, "mask yourself and prepare to cough from inhaling too much dust! We won't stop until this place is spotless!"

"Where did I go wrong?" she asks as I pull on her arm.

~0~0~0~

"There," I say while I place the last box down beside the counter. The cleaning finished faster than I expected it to be. At first, Sylvie was dusting the shelves half-heartedly and I had to scold her to do better. And at some point, she became accustomed to what she was doing that I was able to concentrate on making this place look good as new.

But I had to scold her again for wiping the floor, the tables, AND her furniture. Every single one of them.

Sylvie comes out of the area where the kitchen is and says, "Here, I made some coffee," as she hands me a cup.

I frown. "No tea?"

"When did you get so picky? I don't have any tea packs. So you either drink it or leave it."

"It's fine. I just preferred that over this one. Anyway, what made you decide to open up a business here? And in Lastation, of all places?" Mostly because it has something to do with her relationship with the two CPU sisters. It isn't in a good enough level to make any sense of it. But maybe she has some other reasons or what?

Sylvie sits at the countertop of her desk, that's on the far end corner of the left side and next to the doorway to the kitchen, and sips on her coffee. "No reason in particular. Just a whim, I guess. Also, the rent here is cheaper than the ones in Lowee, Planeptune, especially Leanbox. This one is half the price from the other nations, so I took that offer."

"When did you rent this place?" If she already has the keys to this place, it could've been somewhere around a week or something.

"About a month ago or something? I already rented this place before I heard you and the CPUs were going on a picnic." Okay, it was more than one week, but at least it makes sense.

"Really now? But then again, you always did say you wanted to run your own shop. And not take the Silverstem family business. It's a good choice considering we're in a different dimension from our own. Although won't you miss your family? They're still back in Lluna, aren't they?"

"True, but it's all right. They still have my little sister there. She can take the family business instead."

"Must be nice, to follow your dream and whatnot," I say before taking another sip of my coffee and lean on one of the large empty shelves near the countertop where Sylvie is sitting.

"If I say I haven't, then I'd be lying. What about you though? Now that you mention it, I don't really know what your dream or goal is. Come on, tell me."

"I don't have one."

"Don't have one? You're joking. There's no way in Lluna you don't have any."

"It's true I had one. But it's already been fulfilled." I look down at my coffee as I say. Even with the blackness of the coffee, it still reflects my face. After seeing it, I switch to lean on the shelf instead.

"What's that then?"

"To get away from Lluna. There's nothing left for me there to go back to. Though, I am still trying to find a good place to build a house."

"Build a house? You can do that?"

"Of course I can. If you saw the house I built in Lunelit Forest, you'd be in awe."

"If only." She leaps off the countertop and stretches her arms. "I'm getting a bit light-headed. I need some fresh air." However, the moment she opens the doors again, a girl's scream resonates the whole room. And I'm not sure whether I want to facepalm or heave a sigh at this point anymore. Because the scream sounds familiar—too familiar, in fact, that I don't have the energy to do neither.

"Uni, what are you doing here?" I ask as I follow Sylvie to the front door. Uni scrambles to stand and coughs while keeping her eyes off of any of us.

"Wh-what?" she asks. "I was just passing by."

"Where to?"

"The Guild. I planned on raising Lastation's Shares while I'm at it." She could've made a better lie. The path towards the Guild from the Basilicom is nowhere near here. "Also, what are you doing with _her_ in this place?" She points a finger at Sylvie. "What's this place supposed to be anyway?"

"Well, I'll have you know this is _my_ shop. And I can do whatever I want here."

"That so, huh? You can't do business here until you get a permit, you know?" A permit. Is that what they were arguing with earlier? What's keeping her from getting her hands on one anyway? Is there some kind of special requirement for that?

"Why does she need that?" I ask. Because the fact that she's unable to get it even up to now bothers me.

"It's necessary. It's to avoid problems and be recognized as a legal business. She could get one, but she's not accepting the terms."

"What terms?"

"I told you, I'm not accepting it," Sylvie says. It's starting to get in my nerves as to what kind of thing she needs to get a permit. So I ask her and she answers with, "To get a permit, I need to become an official migrated resident here in Lastation." It strikes me as odd on why she's not accepting that condition though. There's no harm in migrating, so why doesn't she do it?

But then it hits me. There was a time back when we were young, also this happened in our school, Sylvie was elected as the Student Council President. However, you know what she did? She turned down the offer without hesitations. The teachers and other students were confused about why she didn't accept it. Even I don't get why, but she just didn't.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Uni asks.

"Oh, like you're one to talk," Sylvie replies.

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me!"

As they continue to talk, the more they derail from their topic about the permit to plain insults against each other. Now, Alice did tell me not to get in the way between women when they're arguing unless necessary. And I sure wish I didn't listen to her right now, because now they resort to pulling each other's hairs.

"All right, calm down you two!" I shout at them as I push them apart from each other. "Can't we sort this out as mature people would?"

Sylvie runs a hand on her long silver hair. "I was trying to, but she started whining like a child."

"I'm not a child!" Uni retorts.

"Okay, settle down." These two can be such children sometimes. Maybe I can ask Noire to lend me some of her stress-relieving pills she takes sometimes. Although, I'm not sure if it'll do wonders with a migraine. "Let's just head back to the Basilicom," I tell Uni. "Sylvie, I'll come back tomorrow. We can continue our talk by then."

She nods and waves us goodbye. Though at this point, it seems unlikely that she's waving for Uni as well.

It's not in my nature to claim something without enough evidence, but with how the conversation went with the CPU sisters earlier, it's no doubt they don't like her. And it's not on a surface level even.

During the whole walk back, Uni never talks to me and keeps quiet no matter how much I try to get her to say something. And once we reach the Basilicom and reach back to where Noire is, Uni storms off to her room and slams the door which causes me to grunt. I said I have patience, but that patience is starting to deplete at this rate. I understand she's upset, but if she vents it out on me like this, I'll lose my own cool before she does.

Noire asks me what happened but I answer her with, "Nothing much." She didn't pry any further than that.

The next morning comes and I make my trip back to Sylvie. I'm going to have to apologize to her for my sudden leave yesterday. It should also be a good idea to tell her I'm staying with them for the time being so she won't raise any weird suspicion. I've had enough of those already.

"Hey Sylvie, I'm back. Sorry about yester—"

"U-uwaa!" Sylvie stumbles and crashes her back on the desk at the back of the room. "R-R-R-Rivi?! What are you doing here?!" She tries to stand, but fails and falls forward with a _thump_.

"Huh, haven't heard that nickname in a long time," I say. And it's true, to an extent. The only people who call me that is Sylvie and the other two, also the whole Soleil family. I don't know why, but they were fond of it. So I just let them. Although it wouldn't be the same if it were someone else than them.

"Ugh, I know I locked the door," she says.

I laugh which makes her go red and pout. "Well, guess you didn't lock it properly. Also, what were you doing? Actually, don't tell me. You were trying to do an arabesque, weren't you?" Her pale pointed ears grow pink. I extend a hand towards her. She accepts and I pull her back to her feet.

"I was trying to do it, okay?" she confesses and keeps her eyes away from mine.

Chuckling, I pull her towards the center of the room. "Here, I'll guide you on how to execute it." She still doesn't look at me, but she did after a good minute or so and nods. "First of all, the arms are supposed to support your balance. They're not there for show." I adjust her arms in position.

"What about the leg though? I always lose balance whenever I try lifting one." She does it and stumbles to the side. I catch her and get her back in place.

"You shouldn't be afraid of leaning your upper body forward. It'll help you keep balance." With me holding her hands, she tries again, this time she leans forward as I told her to. "Good, I'll be letting go now." And when I did, she didn't stumble. She flashes a smile and tackles me into a hug.

"I did it!" she cheers. However, she pulls herself away at once and turns away from me. "I-I mean, it worked."

After that, we spend the rest of the morning to teaching her more ballet steps. I never would've guessed she wanted to learn ballet, but I'm more than happy to do it for her. Perhaps it's a way to apologize to her from not believing her before? Well, maybe. It doesn't matter anyway. And to top it all off, she's a natural. Assemblé, Grande Jeté, Plié, and even the Attitude she managed to pull off! Whereas I had to spend more time just to get the hang of one of them.

We decide to take a break once the clock on the wall hits noon12:00. Even with how dirty and dusty the place was yesterday, the vegetables inside her refrigerator are free from any of it. While I let Sylvie get a good feel with the Grande Jeté, I took that time to fry some vegetables. It's not a perfect roasted vegetable, but Sylvie's not a picky eater. Though I did make sure it didn't taste bad.

At first, I didn't question her food choices. But when she brushed her hair to reveal her half-pointed ears, I land a fist to my other palm.

She's a half-elf.

In fact, that's her whole family lineage. None of them, or at least the ones I knew, were pure elves. The village did treat them differently at first but soon welcomed them especially when they introduced them to their famous potions. She didn't have any problems with their family migrating to our village. So how come she's not willing here?

"Hey Sylv," I say. "How come you don't want to become an official resident here?"

"Look who's calling someone with an old nickname," she replies.

"Well, since you're calling me with that nickname again, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't do the same to you."

She chuckles. "Fine by me. To answer your question, it's just . . . I'm not like other people, okay?" Not like other people? What does she mean? I ask her about it, and she replies, "I don't like the idea of being bound to something. You won't get it, but I want to run this place not as a resident, but as me—as Sylvie Silverstem. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You're right. I don't understand. But Sylv, it wouldn't make any difference even if you become a resident."

"Maybe, but then I wouldn't be me."

I'm trying to understand what she means, but it's just difficult. I want her to run her business as well, but just convincing her is already hard enough. "Hrm, then how about we persuade to give you a different requirement?"

"Would that be possible?" she asks.

I shrug. "Perhaps. I could ask Noire about it. We won't know unless we see for ourselves."

She stays silent for a while. But she nods afterward and now we decide to head to the Basilicom. Hopefully, Noire will agree. Although, truthfully, I'm not quite sure what will happen. When I look at Sylvie, she has a stern face. She's serious about this, and there's no reason for me to back out either. I'll force them to agree to our terms if I have to.

The Basilicom is now within our sights. Here it is. There's no turning back at this point. It'd be useless anyway since there's a certain half-elf who won't listen to any reasons of mine.

However, the moment we step in the building, four guards approach us without warning and seizes Sylvie. The whole thing happened so fast that I unconsciously force the guards to let her go. The two holding her hits the floor while the other two raise their weapons towards us. What's going on? Why did they become hostile all of a sudden?

"What's going on here?" I ask, shielding Sylvie from them.

"It's simple, really," Ganache says as the guards move aside to reveal him. Smiling. And I hate it. "There were reports of a suspicious woman selling strange bottled-liquids with odd colors. And there was no other person to fit the description other than her." He points at Sylvie.

"Ridiculous! She hasn't sold anything to anyone yet!" I retort.

"I'm afraid we can't believe that. Unless you have any alibis, we'll be branding her as suspicious." The more he speaks, the more I want to land a fist to his face. "My, my, what a scary face you have there. However, I'm merely doing a job as requested by Kei. It's nothing personal."

"What about Noire and Uni? Do they know about this?" He doesn't say anything, and it makes me raise my voice. "Answer me!"

". . . No. They've not been informed of this."

"Why?!"

"I'm not obligated to answer that. Anyway, since I'm feeling so generous today, I'll be giving you two a chance to get an alibi that she wasn't the one that fits the description." He turns around and leaves, but stops and adds, "I wish you luck." And disappears.

Damn it. I knew he shouldn't be trusted. I grab Sylvie and take her outside. The last thing I want is to stick around the Basilicom any longer. Even though I'm pulling Sylvie's arm with a bit of force (I loosen it after I calmed down) to a good distance away from the Basilicom, she doesn't complain or talk. She's probably as confused as I am right now. But there's no time to waste time to figure out why they claim her as the suspicious person.

Although, to be honest, when I take Sylvie away from that place, I let my feet take me wherever with no destination in mind. But when I assess the area we're in, Passe is nearby. "Let's have a small snack before anything else."

"Sure," Sylvie replies. "Only vegetables though."

As we enter Passe, Chian greets us again. When she notices Sylvie, she starts doing her teasing again. And at this point, I just treat it as normal. It kills the mood, and it's perfect that way. A refresher is what I need. Sylvie orders a sandwich but with no meat on it. Having nothing in mind, I order the same thing as hers.

"What do we do now?" Sylvie asks.

"For now," I reply, "We should try and find some information. It might be a good idea to start asking people where they last saw the suspicious person."

"Sounds good. When do we do it?"

"After eating. Don't worry, I'll make sure you'll get that permit no matter what."

Chian comes back with the sandwiches. We finish up quick, pay, and head out to ask people. Most of them point out a direction. And when we ask more people, their directions direct us almost in a complete circle around the city. But when I ask them if Sylvie was the one they saw as the suspicious person, they said no, that the person was darker and not light as Sylvie. At least we know she doesn't match the description to the suspicious person. But it's not enough to convince Ganache or Kei. What we need is actual evidence. They mentioned the suspicious person was selling bottles containing odd-colored liquid. I can't imagine Sylvie making those. The colors of her potion never looked disgusting.

At some point, Sylvie gets tired and tells me she wants to take a break. I don't complain and let her sit on one of the benches of the park we visited yesterday. Nothing much changed here except for the fact that there are fewer people here.

My frustration creeps up to me and I heave a heavy sigh. "This is going nowhere."

"Where in Lluna are we supposed to find the person?" Sylvie asks.

I don't answer, because she's not really expecting one. Both of us know it's pointless to waste our time complaining about these things. "That person isn't in Lluna though. Just here in Gamindustri."

"I know. Force of habits."

I haven't given up yet. There's no reason for me to. But going around without a lead won't keep me in a good enough mood to continue this charade.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Sylvie asks while she points at the direction where the playground is. Unlike yesterday, it's not that compact with children. However, the thing is, none of the children are on any of the playground rides. They're gathering around in a semi-circle. "Wanna check it out?" I agree and we approach the crowd of children.

Children don't usually stop playing unless they either see candies or toys. But once we get close, we get our answer. A dark woman, almost as tall as me, stands in front of all the kids.

"Hey kids, I've got some yummy juice here," the dark woman says. "You can have some if you pay 100 Credits."

"No way. You're weird, old lady," says a boy.

"Yeah," a girl says, "that juicy there looks yucky."

"Let's get out of here," says another boy and all of the kids disperse, leaving the dark woman to herself.

"Hmph! Kids these days. They don't understand what it means to appreciate a master's work." She takes out one of her bottles with purple liquid inside. "No matter. It's only a matter of time before this will become popular." She lets out a haughty laugh. The kind you'd expect from an entitled old lady, but this goes beyond my expectations.

A dark figure and bottles filled with odd-colored liquid—or purple in this case, without a doubt, we found our suspicious person. It's a good thing we did. I'm starting to grow tired of running around the whole city. "Maybe if you tone your makeup down, you wouldn't have troubles selling them," I say and catch her attention.

"Hah? And who're you supposed to be?" she asks.

"Name's Maki. And yours?"

"Arfoire. What about that silver-haired girl?"

"Sylvie. Good to meet you."

"Hmm. And what business do you have with me?" Arfoire asks.

"We've been receiving rumors about a suspicious lady selling weird bottles around here," I say. "So we're here to ask you to leave. It's causing us unnecessary troubles."

"What makes you think I'm going to listen?"

"Simple. You're trying to sell those, right? Well, we'll just buy all of it. That way, you don't need to linger around here any longer. What do you say?"

"Hoh, not a bad offer. 300 Credits each. Take it or leave it." What a greedy woman. Well, whatever, not like it matters. What matters is to get her out of here and clear Sylvie's name. "I've got 87 of them. Can you afford all of it?" she smirks, but it fades when I give her an exact 26, 100 Credits. Although her smile returns after she hands out the bottles and I hand her the Credits. Doing quests at the Guild wasn't a waste after all. "Pleasure doing business with you." She walks away and disappears.

I sigh as I look at the bag full of the purple-colored liquid bottles on my hand. I turn to Sylvie, only to see her eyes squinting at me. "What?" I ask because her gaze is uncomforting.

"How do you have that many Credits?" she asks.

"Dedication, patience, and lots of jack of all trade stuff. Believe me, you won't like it. You're better off selling potions instead."

"True. I'd rather have my hands dirty with herbs and roots than other people's garbage." Is that supposed to be sarcastic? Because if it is, even if it's her, well I'm not laughing. "What's in that thing anyway?" She grabs a bottle from the bag and inspects it. "It doesn't look poisonous or toxic. Only an intimidating color. Not sure if I want to test it out though."

"Let me then." I take the bottle from her hand, remove the cork, and chug it all down.

"How does it taste?" she asks.

"For one thing, it's not deadly or disgusting. It's quite tasty really. Oh, and you'll like it, I'm sure. It's eggplant flavor. It doesn't have anything meaty in it." Suspicious as Arfoire may be, she makes some mean eggplant juice. It's weird but it works. I wouldn't mind buying some more from her once I run out.

"Really now? Hand me one." She takes another bottle and drinks its contents. "You're right. It does taste nice.

"Well, now that we have these, we can go back to the Basilicom and clear you from suspicion." She nods and we make our way back. Although, it takes a bit more time to get there with me trudging with a large bag.

Once we get near again, there's no dread looming over us unlike earlier. We've got the evidence right here. And a pain it is as well. Seriously, they better accept our terms otherwise I'll throw an outburst. Sylvie half-skips beside me, matching my pace. She's whistling a tune I've never heard of before, but it's soothing. And much more since it's coming from her. I may be exaggerating here, but the song she's humming matches her.

But she switches from humming to the actual lyrics.

 _In that heart of yours, am I there . . .?_

 _I want to ask . . . But I can't ask._

 _Like glass, rather than playing it strong._

 _I want to embrace this courage._

"That's a lovely song," I say. "What's it called?"

"I don't know," she replies, "I only heard it a couple of times, but I don't know the title or the person who sang it. But the song was beautiful and it got stuck in my head."

"It's nice hearing you sing. I'm not confident in mine though."

"That's not true. Your father and mother both had lovely voices. I'm sure it rubbed off on you."

"Perhaps . . . All right, we're here."

I let Sylvie open the door since I've got my hands full. The four guards confront us again, but they didn't attempt to seize Sylvie or raise their weapons. And it didn't take long before Ganache appears, this time he's along with Kei.

Per usual, Ganache has the same smile he had earlier. And I still hate it.

"I see you've got your alibi. Good then. I'll have her name cleared right away," he says. Is he being serious right now? Why is he letting us off the hook this prematurely? Even I wouldn't be this lenient to a suspect. "Oh, and you can keep those. I'm not a heavy drinker. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got other matters to attend to."

"What was that all about?" Sylvie asks.

"I don't know, Sylv. Whatever it is, at least they won't trouble us anymore." I motion my eye towards the four guards. They disperse and go back to their spots.

"I'm sure you noticed already, but that was just one of his games," Kei says. "Well, I do admit, I was part of it too. Anyway, onto business. You came here for a permit, didn't you?" I want to know how she knows about that. But then again, they did argue about it yesterday. Perhaps she remembers it? Not too sure.

"Indeed, we are," Sylvie says.

"I see. Here you are then." Kei hands Sylvie a large piece of paper. It's so sudden that Sylvie nearly drops it from either confusion or surprise or maybe both. "With that, you can open a business here." She turns to leave, but Sylvie stops her.

"What's going on? How come you're giving me this?"

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but a certain raven-haired girl dove under the receptionist's desk the moment you two arrived." She shifts her head towards the desk.

"I told you not to tell them!" Uni pokes her head out behind the receptionist's desk. The moment her eyes meet ours, she rushes out. I manage to grab her attention before she takes off.

"Uni, thanks."

"H-hmph! I didn't do it for you two. I just wanted to get that old hag out of here."

"Candidate CPU of Lastation," Sylvie says. "No. Uni, you have my full gratitude." Uni doesn't turn back towards us and runs off after a few seconds of standing still. But it didn't affect Sylvie at all, in fact, it's the opposite.

For the first in the longest time, Sylvie beams a bright and genuine smile.

But when I look down, her fist is tight into a grip. "Rivi?" she asks.

"What?" I reply.

"Can I ask you to do something for me?"

"All right, but what is it?"

"Tell me about her. About the Candidate of Lastation—Uni. And also," she looks directly into my eye, "I'd like some advice on apologizing. It's not really my . . ."

"Sure," I reply before she finishes her sentence. She doesn't need to tell me.

I already know.

* * *

 **A.N.: I apologize if the updates are taking longer than the estimated time I've placed. But as of late, my schedule has been quite compact and there's also the fact that I'm making sure I get the chapter out with quality instead of rushing it just for the sake of uploading.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all understand. I can't promise fast updates, but I can promise there would still be updates.**

 **Hope to see you all in the next chapter~**


	31. The Veiled Note

**Chapter 31**

 _The Veiled Note_

Uni hums to herself as she takes a bite off of one of her three triangle slices of sandwiches. Pleased with the taste, she slows the pace of her chews to savor the flavor. At least that's how I'm assuming she's doing. Her legs swing back and forth as she continues to eat. It makes it hard to see her as the usual stubborn girl whom I talk to on occasions. And I mean occasions.

Although she refused the idea of coming here to eat at first, her stomach was a dead giveaway. After that, she agreed to follow me to Passe, Chian's place, and let me pay for it. Spending isn't much of a big deal for me nowadays; However, I do keep my budgets in check.

It's also been a week after Sylvie got her permit and, need I tell you, started her business. I frequent my visits to her shop whenever I can, and not a lot of customers yet. No surprises there. Even I witnessed Alice's shop being that empty. What would you expect from a recent shop anyway? And a sudden one at that. I've heard there are these whole "Grand Opening" things from other new shops I passed by, but when I told Sylvie about it, she shrugged and didn't exactly care about those things.

Whenever her place was empty, however, Sylvie and I would use that time to teach her some more forms and steps in ballet. Sometimes we would refine the ones she already knows about. Also, she's gotten more motivated to learn them than ever. I've got no problems with that, but at the rate she's learning them, I'll run out of things to teach her. In ballet, anyway.

Although there were some sessions where we end up doing something stupid instead of making any sort of progress. But she might have done those on purpose. It's a nice change of pace from the whole serious sessions.

She's beginning to adapt to the new culture and advancements we never had in Lluna. However, there were cases where I had to ask Sylvie what some things are and what they do.

"Hey, Sylv!" I shouted as I slammed the double-glass doors of her shop one afternoon. "My package arrived yesterday. I was hoping you'd like to know what's inside as well."

The whole place would be a mess if it was Sylvie we're talking about, but I made sure there would be a day where she'd close the store and focus on cleaning the whole place. She didn't argue about it. Although, it's strange how she could live in such a dusty environment even though she doesn't like anything dirty. I stopped questioning her about it and focused on keeping her on a cleaning schedule. It's working so far.

"You could've just asked me for help instead, you know?" Uni says after swallowing a bite from her sandwich. She's referring to the package I showed Sylvie a few days ago.

"Well, you two always seem busy. And I didn't want to disturb any of you," I say.

"That wouldn't be too much trouble. It's not like we're purposely ignoring you." She has a point, but still, they have duties they need to attend to. I'd feel bad if I take up those hours for work-related stuff than helping me out on some trivial stuff (for the people in Gamidustri anyway).

"It doesn't bother me. You two being busy and all. I've been there myself." Used to, anyway. Nowadays, I've got time to kill either for the Guild to do some quests-mostly for the Credits, but hey, a man's gotta have some cash in his pockets? Except I don't have kids. I only have Sylvie who, since she just started her business, borrows some money off of me. Mostly because of the event when I bought from Arfoire days before.

Also, before any of you ask, yes, there's still the whole cosplay thing with Noire for nights on end. I swear she's so into them that having a moment's rest isn't enough for her. But I don't mind it any more than she does. She even corrected me on how some parts of sewing are different. It helps because I've sewn clothes myself, yet all I've been doing is winging it. My sewing skills are self-taught, though not great. You might be asking, "How come I don't go to a clothing store for my clothes?" It's true, can't argue that. But none of the people I know knows how to infuse some specific materials infused with magic. Maybe if I went to the place where the wizards and witches lived, but they're too far from Lunelit Forest. Plus, I took a break from traveling as well, so yeah.

"But you're still struggling to do a simple search on the web," Uni says.

"Hey, I'm getting better at it though," I say.

"Can't deny that I guess." She finishes her second slice of sandwich. "But make sure you don't accidentally buy things online. Again. It's embarrassing to apologize to the delivery person."

"W-well, it was only that one time."

"One time? How does ordering a package of expensive chocolate AND useless tea sets count as one time?!"

"Okay, okay. Only twice. Wasn't all that bad."

"Of course it wouldn't. If those tea sets. Weren't. Separate. From. Each. Deliver."

"Worry not, dame. For I've exquisitely dethroned myself of such heinous sites."

"What's with that cheesy line?"

"Dunno. Just something I saw on the internet. It had something to do with kings and queens and whatnot. It was one of the lines or something."

"Maybe I should ban you from using the internet . . ." she mumbles.

"Probably. I've got no problems with that, really." I've seen some crazy and weird stuff that I can't comprehend into words. And I'm sure enough to say it was no exaggeration. I'll lay off on those for a while. When I'll ever use it again, I'm not so sure myself.

"Say, Maki.," Uni calls for my attention.

"Hrm? What is it? Is something bothering you?"

"I-I was wondering," she pauses for a bit before clearing her throat. "What do you think of Lastation so far? Think you'll consider staying here?"

Ah, right. The reason I came here in Lastation in the first place was to see if I could live here. For the most part, it's a nice place. But because Sylvie's here, I'm not sure. I'll be able to visit her frequently like back then, yes, but even it doesn't change the fact that I'm not living in a city.

"I can't say. I'd prefer to see the others first before deciding."

"Hmm . . ." She fiddles with a pepper shaker in front of her.

"I'm stepping out for a bit," I tell her.

"What for?" she asks.

"Don't worry, it's only for a bit. I'll be back before you know it." I hop off the stool and slam the door that leads outside open. Now, it's not my door so I prefer to show restraints, but with how my eyebrow keeps on twitching, the idea didn't get to me. "Sylv!" I scream-whisper, "how long do you plan on staying there?"

The half-elf woman, leaning on the walls near the door to Passe, has one of her hands on her tucked inside her gown with only one button buttoned on the middle. Also, a pair of shades covering her eyes. " _Something the matter, peasant?_ "

"Don't you go Elvish on me, woman." That does it as well. Mental note: ban Sylvie from the internet. Maybe that way we can get rid of these weird shenanigans.

"Is she there?" she asks as her shades drop low enough for her to peer at me with her emerald eyes. I'm not even going to question how she did it without using her hands or her choice of clothing anymore.

"Just get inside already. I've got her in here, so don't go wasting this chance. If you plan to apologize, now's the time."

She stares at me, which tells me she's reluctant. This happened before already, and need I tell you how many times? But I'm not letting her stand there. So with a jerk, I grab her arm and pull her inside. She complains but I don't listen. Unless she gets into the spotlight, there's no way she'll do about anything.

Once we get near Uni, I drop back to my seat. Sylvie sits on the stool to my right. "Why are you sitting there?" I ask. But then I catch a glimpse of her fists clenched, trembling. "Just make sure you'll talk to her¸ 'kay?

She nods and at the same time Uni notices of the new presence in the room. And because of that, she almost chokes on her sandwich and chugs large gulps of water before yelling, "S-Sylvie?"

Sylvie does a half-hearted wave and gives a forced smile, but when I kick her leg she responds, "Good to meet you, Candidate of—" I slam another foot on her leg. "U-Uni."

"Huh? O-oh, yeah. Nice to meet you two." They take each other's hands to shake but pull away after doing one. Just one. What is this, a business meeting? Not just Sylvie, but both of their display gives me a hard time to keep my hands from landing on their scalps. "So . . . how's business going for you?"

"Good. And you?"

"Fine."

And after a minute—two minutes—fifteen minutes.

Silence.

Nothing but silence.

Although, Sylvie did order some toast to Chian in the middle of the silence. And when she comes back with her toast, Uni grabs the last of her sandwich on her plate. She didn't touch the sandwich during those minutes of silence.

But this is already defeating the main purpose why I set all this up. Right as I consider whispering something to Sylvie, she finally says something. Good, now we're making progress.

"Pork AND ham? What monstrosity are you eating?"

And that progress drops faster than an apprentice wizard casting a simple fireball spell.

"What?" Uni replies. "Why would you care anyway? I'll eat whatever I want."

"Oh, nothing really. Go ahead and eat that thing."

"Are you being serious now or being sarcastic?"

"I don't know. How can I be sarcastic to someone holding a horrid mixture of two different flesh and is about to devour it close to me? It's not disgusting at all."

This time, my kick gets a squeal out of her. "Sylv," I say. "What on Lluna are you doing?"

"What? I'm just being honest with her."

"Limits, Sylv, limits! Even I eat meat, you know that. What difference does it make when it's her? Give it a rest, will you? You're killing me here."

She looks away for a good minute or two before responding, "All right, but no more kicking. I don't want a swollen leg."

"Only if you two don't start arguing again."

After nodding, she returns her attention to Uni. I'm not sure what kind of face she's making right now. Because it's somewhere between a confused one and an awed one. But it should be fine. Hopefully, Sylvie can fix this mess. But if she doesn't, I'll call this one a bust and have them both bail-out.

"S . . . s-sorry," Sylvie stammers.

Okay, it's a good start. However, I'm getting at the edge of my seat here. Because with how she tried to apologize, it reminded me she's not good at it. Like, at all.

It should be all right. She's got this. There's really nothing I can do for her at this point.

"H-huh? A-all right," Uni says. "Just this once, I'll pretend I didn't hear anything."

I'm surprised. I didn't expect Uni of all people to let this one go. But at least there won't be any more girls verbally abusing each other. At some point, they steer the conversation into something less violent from each other. They ask each other some questions about themselves. Although I can't say for sure it's a conversation any normal person would have. Maybe.

"What do you do all day? I've heard a CPU governs her own nation, yet the description was so vague. Though you are the Candidate, I'm sure you'd at least know how the governing usually goes."

"Nothing much. Just some paperwork here and there. And sometimes we help the citizens if there are any monsters going their way."

"Makes sense. So you fight monsters? What weapon do you use? Blades? Magic?"

"I use a gun." Uni pulls out a gun from her dress and raises it for Sylvie to see. "Maki told me how you two have little technology in your world. It's like a crossbow, if that makes any sense. You just load a bullet in the magazine and pull the trigger." It somehow sounds less complicated than how she explained it to me. "Though I'm not good with magic. It's more of Rom and Ram's thing than mine."

"I can agree with that. I've seen Miner—I mean, I have seen Rom do it once before."

My eyes squint. Is it me, or did I almost hear the Princess' name? No, that can't be right. Sylvie wouldn't know her. Could be any person with the same initials, really.

At some point, I'm able to get out of my seat and leave the two alone for their own conversation. Sylvie's able to withhold her criticism tendencies and go along with the conversation. Although I'm itching to join the conversation, Alice told me before that sometimes girls have a thing called a "girl talk", which I still don't understand to this day. If that exists, then is there a "boy talk?" Sounds weird, but possibly?

I now sit in one of the four seats surrounding a table. And, honestly, I don't like it. It's good when you have other people with you, but I'm usually solo when I eat at diners back at the time I used to travel in Lluna.

Since Chian has nothing to do right now (she told me), she takes the seat opposite of where I am.

"Man, those two just met and they're already chatting their hearts out," Chian says.

"Yeah, but you got one thing wrong," I say as I rest my arm on the table and my face on my knuckle.

"Oh yeah?"

"This isn't the first time they've met."

"You sure?!" Chian slams the table that makes my knuckle mess the sensation on my teeth. And because of that, I remove my arm on the table. "Then why'd they shake hands n' stuff?"

"Wish I knew. But at least it's better than having those two spitting fire at each other."

"Ahaha! If they resort to yanking their hairs and call each other names, I'll let you handle it."

"And I'll let you handle picking up the strands of hair I lost and reattach them on my scalp. But no tape though." She laughs, but what I said is partially serious. Alice also warned me I should leave girls alone when they have a catfight. And I'm not in a mood to find out what happens if I do.

Eyes growing heavy, I lie my head on the table. All those nights of cosplay making with Noire hit a toll on me. Maybe it's because my mind is more relaxed now or something. But my arms don't want to move no matter how much I try to make them.

Perhaps it's time for me to ask Noire to let me have some night's off. Although I have to say, she is helping me improve my sewing skills. Hmm, maybe one more night wouldn't hurt.

"Oh right, I almost forgot!" Chian raises her voice so sudden that it made my body go autopilot and stand as if a bomb is about to explode. But in doing so, my foot finds its way to one leg of the table which makes it go off center. It didn't matter to me, though, because I'm not a perfectionist. And another thing, I'm more worried if any nails fell off of my toes and the numbing throbs.

"Please don't shout like that," I say as I rub my injured foot.

"Oh. Sorry." She sits back down and takes out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "The same guy came again earlier and gave me another note for you."

I take the note and unfold it. I find it strange that this person is giving us these notes. It helped us find Uni, but how come this person doesn't give it to us directly? Is there a reason for that person to not send it to the Basilicom?

"How d'you know it's for us?" I ask.

"He told me to give it to the one with the bloody red hair with one eye. There's no one else that fits the description other than you."

That makes sense, but is it really me in specific? Also, what does she mean bloody red? My hair's not that dark. Or at least, I haven't seen myself in a mirror yet to confirm.

"What does it say?"

"I dunno. He told me not to look inside. And I wasn't really in a curious mood so I just stuffed it in my pocket and waited for the chance to give it to you since you're always here in the mornin'. Strange how it is, though, that he comes 'ere before any of you."

That is weird because I haven't met anyone as diligent of a morning person other than my mom. Or dad. Sylvie doesn't, and neither does Noire nor Uni.

Of course, people are always different. Maybe I just haven't met anyone like me when it comes to waking up in the morning. It'd be exciting if I meet a person like that. Then we could share our experiences with hunting animals before the break of dawn. But I haven't found any, so I'm uncertain to a point.

I read the letter again. But when I read the contents of the note, I have to take my reading glasses from the depths of my coat and wear it.

The more I reread it, the less sense it makes. As with the other notes.

 _North-East. Forest. Temple._

 _Look with your eyes. But don't look with your eyes._

 _What your eyes can't see is what your eyes can see._

 _Look for it._

It's like a poem; only it isn't a poem. See what your eyes see but can't see? Or something. I don't really get it, but the first part of the line must be directions. But what for? What could this man possibly be telling us here? It's hard to say, but he helped in directing us to Uni. So, maybe it wouldn't hurt to check this out. Perhaps this is a way to repay him or something.

But hey, maybe this is a good chance to get those two to know each other more or something.

Although, I'm not quite sure whether Sylvie can fight monsters. I've never seen her pick up a weapon before. But if she can't, Uni and I can handle them instead.

I fold the paper and put it inside the compartment of my pocket where I keep all of any papers. From parchment to tablet papers. Just as I do, something fast passes through, almost grazing my cheek. When I look at what almost hit me, the wall has a fork sticking out of it. Designing is not my forte, but I'm sure that's not how you use a fork.

"Ah crap, just when I said they'll be pullin' their strings," Chian says.

True to her statement, Sylvie and Uni are on the verge of ripping each other's hairs off their scalps. What happened? What's with this sudden ridiculous shift?

"Looks like I'll be putting your hair back like you requested."

"Guess I should've expected this then," I sigh. "All right, break it up you two. What is it this time?" I should get an award for being a babysitter. Chian might need to pick up some extra hairs if this keeps up.

"I didn't do anything!" Uni shouts. "She kept on bugging me about mayonnaise!"

"What about mayonnaise?"

"Don't you understand?" Sylvie asks. "Mayonnaise is one of the main reasons people go crazy!"

I wouldn't go as far as crazy. Mayonnaise isn't that bad, but it's not something I'd crave for. One thing about me though, I don't like mayonnaise. If it's possible for me to eat food with no mayonnaise, I'd prefer those. Still, it doesn't feel right if I eat a salad without any. It's weird.

"You understand, don't you, Maki?" Sylvie grabs the collar of my coat. The way she grasps gives me a hard time to breathe properly.

"I get it, I get it. Can you let go first?" She does and crosses her arms instead, all the while glaring at Uni who's also returning the glare. My hope for these two to get along plummets. Even I'm not sure if this will work out anymore.

But I can't give up. After all, I promised Sylvie. But she needs to cooperate with me here.

"Instead of a bawl match here, why don't we go to a more secluded place to relax?" I suggest.

"Ew, is that your way of picking up girls?" Uni asks.

"I must agree on her for this one," Sylvie says. "You shouldn't rely on pick-up lines. They do the opposite effect. Something simple should be good enough."

Something inside me snaps. If there's an awarding going on, I'll make sure to grab mine after I finish things here. Right now, though? It doesn't look like I'll be getting it anytime soon. "I see you two are testing out the amount of patience I have. Tell me, was it worth? Was it worth the trouble? Because you're about to find out. Right. Now."

"U-uh oh, I think we drew a line somewhere," Sylvie tells Uni.

"Whose fault do you think was it anyway?!" Uni replies to her.

"Yes indeed. Whose fault was it indeed?" I say as I inch towards them.

"M-Maki, I-I'm sure we can talk this out, can't we, Uni?"

"Th-that's right! The thing about mayonnaise was just her opinion, wasn't it?"

"I completely agree. So, Maki, why don't you sit down and let us handle this like mature people would. Just si—" I grab Sylvie, lock her head with my arms, and twist it that made a loud _crack_. Afterward, I throw her limp body to the side and make my way to Uni while staring at her with an unblinking eye.

"W-wait! If you do anything to me, you'll become a criminal!" She backs into a corner and uses her arms as shields. But like those will do anything.

"Two words: Don't care." I grab the collar of her dress and lift her up.

"No . . ." Her voice quivers and I let out a laugh that resonates through the whole room. "NOOOO!"

~0~0~0~

The fatigue must be getting to me. This tree is already the fifth one today.

 _Thud!_

Make that the sixth.

 _Thump!_

Nevermind. Seven.

"Maybe we should rest for a while," Sylvie suggests. "That's the fifth time you got hit."

"Seventh, Sylv, it's the seventh," I correct her. "You two didn't notice the third and fourth one I hit because you were both busy with your own worlds." And I mean literally. Those trees had its roots sticking out, so after my head bumped onto it my feet got caught in one of them and fall flat on the ground.

Can you guess what those two were doing when that happened to me? Another argument. Their discussion? The unhealthy state of the grass. I'm not sure who to agree with on that one because I'm no grass expert.

I still remind myself that Sylvie is a half-elf, and she probably cares about nature as much as the next person. But sometimes I wish she can let some minor things slide.

"Sylv . . .?" Uni mumbles. Though it isn't soft enough for any of us to not hear.

"That's right. Maki calls me that," Sylvie says. "You, however, can't."

Uni pouts. "I-I wasn't gonna anyway! Geez, why do you have to get angry at me for the littlest things?" Surprisingly, it catches Sylvie's attention. She looks away from Uni and into mine. A death stare—that's people's impressions to this at first thought. But in reality, she's trying to pry deep within the soul inside my eyes for help.

Because the Sylvie in front of me right now isn't the tough and hard-headed girl I know. No, the girl in front of me is a girl who's crying to get out of the current situation.

"Sylv . . ." Her eyes light up when I call out her name. "You're right." Nodding, she leans her body towards my direction. "I should get some rest." She freezes.

I jump and latch onto a branch, then lift my whole body up and adjust to a comfortable position. "Wake me up if anything happens," I say.

Sylvie and Uni look at each other and back to me, unsure what to do. I don't know about them, but if you experience the struggle I had to go through with these two, you won't disagree that this is a well-deserved break. Also, my fatigue will worsen if I don't do something about it soon.

And when I meant "do something" I mean "do nothing" and get a quick nap. I could go longer, but as Alice told me, "Don't keep a girl waiting" every time she gets me to lift the crates for her.

I hear their voices below. It's not registering to me though. Letting the heaviness of my eyelid drop, I drift to sleep.

* * *

The nap is shorter than expected because when my eye jolts open; I fall to the ground. Once I rub the sore parts of my body, I take my pocket watch out and check to see that it's only been half an hour. I stand and dust my clothes of dirt after returning the pocket watch in my coat.

My body is fine, but at the same time, not. It's taking most of my strength just forcing myself to remain on my feet. The dream I had was something. Something, because right after I hit the ground, I can't recall anything. But the feeling stayed and now I have to spend most of my focus to keep myself from hurling to a nearby tree.

Except I do hurl.

Most of the stuff coming out is just foul-colored water though. I didn't eat anything earlier because I had no appetite. But I don't know what stings more, my throat or my stomach? Either way, it's not pleasant.

All that water out of my system means dehydration will kick in at any moment. The first symptom occurs quite instant, however. This makes it harder for me to find where Sylvie and Uni went. Even without this blurry vision, I know for sure that those two are not around the area. Or at least around my line of sight.

If Sylvie is with Uni, she'll be all right. But somehow, I doubt that. Those two aren't who you'll expect to tag along with each other on their own. Still, though, I'm hoping they are together.

Nothing will happen if I stay here, so I continue towards our destination, wherever that is.

* * *

Something's off.

No matter how much I try to ignore it, endless alarms keep ringing inside my head. And it's not for no reason either. This might be that sixth sense people keep talking about, but I prefer to call it intuition. My intuition, however, tells me something's not right.

Then I smell something burning. Not a forest fire burn type of thing, but an artificial burn. The smell gets stronger behind me than in front, so I turn to check what it is.

But when I do, a tree near me splits in half and smash in front of me. Glad I wasn't standing there, but what made it go down like that? And as if answering my question, running with all they have, Sylvie and Uni appear before me. They're not on the run to tackle me or anything (like some shopkeeper every time). No, they're running as if their lives are depending on it.

Before they come closer, I shout at them, "Hey, where have you two been?!"

"There's no time to explain!" Uni shouts back. "Just run!"

From what though? I'm skeptical about this. Though none of them is the type to mess around (unless you count of their arguing all the time) as far as I know, so what's forcing them to do this?

They pass through me, as though I'm not here, and now I know the cause of their panic.

A blanket of dogoos speeds its way towards our direction. But that's not all—no, behind them, behind the army of dogoos marching, a lone yet enormous dogoo follows among them. The way they look is similar to a video clip of a video game I watched Uni playing the other day. Except for the giant one that one had pinkish and disgusting muscles all over its body. This one is just a larger version of the dogoos.

I instantly become a ninja and climb to a branch of a tree. Leaping from branch to branch, tree to tree, I follow Sylvie and Uni's direction. It doesn't take long for me to find them, however. It's easier to travel like this if you know how to do it, plus you don't have to deal with rocks and hidden vines or roots or whatever.

"What's with those things?!" I shout to them from above.

"Huh? Maki?" Sylvie tilts her head up to my way.

"What?" Uni does the same gesture as Sylvie. "You've got to be kidding me. How are you even doing that?"

"One word: Internet," I answer as I dodge a lingering thin branch. "Nevermind that. What did you two do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Uni protests. Well, those dogoos clearly don't show it.

"Sylv?"

She doesn't respond.

"Sylvie?"

Still no response.

"Sylvie Silverstem! I demand an answer right this instance!"

"All right already, mom," she finally says.

Alice is right. I might actually do a good job of acting like a mother. How come it's not a father's job? On that note, all I can say is I stopped questioning Alice about it. Or to anyone else for that matter.

"I, uh, kind of made a new potion." Welp, that explains it.

"What was it supposed to do?"

"They're supposed to grow things faster. I just thought I'd try it out on those things and see if they'll grow their hairs faster."

"Do those things even have hair in the first place?"

"I dunno? That's why I wanted to test it out."

"Is that why there are large ones? I've got to say though, that's quite impressive. Vines or roots?"

"Better. Moon Sugars."

"They have some here?! Whoa, this might be the jackpot then."

"Uh, hello?!" Uni says. "Have you forgotten about the swarm of dogoos behind us?!"

"Nonsense!" I say after a branch I leaped on snaps and falls to the ground. Good thing I didn't fall with. "This is a discovery that mustn't go unnoticed! Sylv, quick, take this note." Grabbing a notepad and a pen from one pocket of my coat, I toss them to her. She catches it and scribbles the pad. How she's able to write while dodging rocks, lingering roots, and bushes, I'll never know.

"There, done," Sylvie says and hands the notepad to Uni.

When Uni reads the contents of the notepad, she halts in her tracks and furrows her brows. "What's this supposed to be? More gibberish?"

Upon hearing this, Sylvie stops and rushes back to Uni with me following behind from the trees. I know where this is going. Sylvie prefers to write in Elvish, mostly because of her grandmother. She taught me the language at some point as well. Said she wanted to make it some kind of special and secret messages for us and only us.

But this is not the time or spot to have this.

"Uh, girls?" I say, but no one listens.

"Oh right," Sylvie says. "Forgot you can't understand Elven language."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Uni asks.

Sylvie shakes her head. "No, I don't mean to berate you. It's just, I have a hard time talking to other people without making it sound harsh. And maybe I've gone too far sometimes because of it."

"H-huh? W-well yeah. I mean, I know you didn't mean to. Maki told me you're like that sometimes. But don't get the wrong idea though! Since he knows you, I just thought . . . you know?" Uni looks away, though her flushed cheeks are still visible even from where I stand.

This, however, brings a smile to Sylvie's face.

"Thank you, Uni. I've been meaning to say this, but I haven't had a good opportunity. This might be my only chance, and I will take it." She inhales a deep breath and locks eyes with Uni. "Forgive me of my shortcomings. Even if you don't, I want to at least mention it to you."

"Hmph!" The flushed raven-haired girl moves her head to the side. "Since you're already asking, I guess I can forgive you."

Sylvie opens her arms towards her, but Uni doesn't seem to understand and just stare at her. After a short while though, Uni closes in on her and accepts her hug. Sylvie, despite being the hard-headed half-elf she is, has a sweet side to her. I'm glad I'm able to see a side I've never seen of her before. And now she got what she intended to do.

I've half-emptied my tissue box already and stuff from the sight before me. All those times I had to deal with these two finally pays off. It's the same feeling you'd get after witnessing your child accomplish something he or she couldn't do before. Now I know why my mother cried when I told her I was visiting someone from school.

However, that feeling didn't last long.

"So, uh, I don't mean to be a mood-breaker here . . . But, there're still those dogoos behind us," I tell them, and this gets their attention.

When they turn to look back, still holding onto each other, it's already too late. The wave crashed on them and their whole bodies get covered and soaked with the dogoos' sticky bodies. Good thing I'm up on this safe and sturdy branch; otherwise I'd end up with the same fate as them.

"Eww, gross. Get off me! Kyaa! D-don't crawl in there!"

"Unhand me, you vile creatures. G-gaah!" Another thing I find out about Sylvie. That squeal coming from her is a rare discovery of a lifetime. "Wh-what are they made of—aah!"

One dogoo licks Uni on the cheek. "H-hey, don't lick me!"

While two dogoos lick Sylvie's pointy ears. "S-stop it! Th-that's sensitive—kyaa!"

As their . . . predicament continues, the wave moves again with them being dragged along with it. I follow as I recite an incantation. Although it's probably a good idea to save them now, I'd prefer to do it without getting in the middle of those things.

Sorry Sylvie, Uni. Just bear with it a little longer.

~0~0~0~

I somehow got them out of their predicament earlier. It didn't involve any fights, however. Rather, it was more so with me sneaking them out of there after I engulf myself with a stealth ability. Because fighting all those dogoos (not to mention the large ones) would take a long time, if not forever. And it wasn't a good idea to begin with.

They were out of it for a while, but they're able to talk to each other without the awkward start.

But the real question is: Have they stopped arguing?

Quick answer: Not in the slightest.

One thing that changed, however, is Sylvie's aggression towards Uni. Now she's not criticizing her for the small stuff. Note: small stuff.

But now we still have one problem. I take the note out from my pocket and reread its content.

 _North-East. Forest. Temple._

 _Look with your eyes. But don't look with your eyes._

 _What your eyes can't see is what your eyes can see._

 _Look for it._

Look with our eyes, but not with our eyes? So, our eyes see it but don't? I don't really get it. It might be easier if we talk to the person who wrote this, but that option's out.

Just as the long minutes of walking stifles a yawn out of me, my body slams into something cold and tough, the same kind as what an orichalcum armor feels. The sudden shock sent to my entire system messes my vision and footing. This is usually a rare instance for me, and I guess this is one of those instances of me losing balance. Sylvie helps me get up, while Uni inspects the area that hit me.

"A barrier?" Uni says as she removes her hand from the invisible wall.

"Is it now?" Sylvie runs a hand on the barrier as well. "Why would there be a barrier here? But something's strange about it. It feels familiar, but I can't get it on the tip of my tongue."

"Hmm . . . Let me check it," I tell them, and they step back.

While I inspect the barrier, the two girls (probably because of boredom) have their own world and discuss different things. I say discuss, but it's just one of those "girl talk" again.

"How long have you and Maki known each other?" Uni asks.

Great, now I wish I'm deaf.

"Ever since we were young," Sylvie answers.

"And you've been _friends_ with him ever since?"

"Correct, but I wasn't his only _friend_. There were still other people who we are _friends_ with. But it's not that great of a number."

And now I'm wishing they'd be mute. But that's too harsh, I guess.

"Of course," Sylvie continues, "You're one of them now."

"R-really? W-well, if you insist," Uni stammers, "I guess I can be your f- _friend_."

 _Bang!_

"What was that sound?" Sylvie asks.

"Maki, did you he—huh? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Sylvie grabs my shoulder, while Uni stands behind me. Or at least that's what I'm assuming she's at. It's hard for me to turn and confirm it—no, I can't let her see me. Not right now. It's far too dangerous.

"Is that . . .?" Sylvie asks.

"Don't let Uni see," I whisper between ragged breaths.

She does so without questions and tells Uni to not get close to me. Uni protests at first but listens when Sylvie only returns a stare. But it brings the message to her at least.

"I thought you said you had control over that?" Sylvie wraps my hand to hers.

"Believe me. Those are my thoughts exactly. But ever since I got here, in Gamindustri, it's been harder to do so."

"Can I do anything to help?"

Just make sure Uni doesn't force her way to see me in my current state. No offense, but none of your potions will ease this."

"All right."

She moves to check on Uni, and at the same time I rest my hand on the barrier to lean on. As long as I can keep my composure, easing this won't take long. But the next moment becomes unexpected. My hand leaning on the barrier slaps the grass and ground instead of the barrier. Not only that, but because it happened so suddenly, "it" disappeared as well. Probably the surprise kicked it off me.

The silver and black pair rush towards me upon noticing something happened to the barrier. Sylvie prevents Uni from moving any closer to me but I tell her, "It's okay, Sylv. I'm feeling better now."

"What happened to the barrier?" Uni asks.

"I don't know. It just disappeared."

"What's that over there?" Sylvie points at a building not too far from where we stand. The building itself must be the temple the note was talking about. The exterior comprises mostly of black and gray, but there are also vines hugging on the walls.

"Are we gonna look inside?" Uni asks.

I respond with a "Yes," but it doesn't stop the stern look on her face. No one can blame her, really. The temple looks similar to the one Alice ran off to. This one has different colors though.

We stop right before the entrance. Sylvie and Uni look at each other and nod.

"After you," Uni says.

Figures.

Once I take a step in, the two girls trail behind me. Since the sun is still out, the whole place gets light just enough to make everything visible to the naked eye. Narrow hallways, cracks on the walls, rays of light shining through the windows without glass. Even though they're not something you'd see normally, it's nothing too extreme.

"This isn't so—"

Cries. Pain. Cries and pain. No matter where I look, it's still the same thing. Cries and pain. Cries and pain.

The voice keeps repeating the words: _Your fault. Your fault._

Sweat rolling down my face, fists clenched, my legs lose strength and force me on my knees. I grab my head and block my ears out, but it didn't stop.

 _Your fault. Your fault._

 _Monster. Monster._

 _You did. You did._

I bite my lip. My mouth tastes blood, but it's what I expected. That stops the voices for now, but my focus shifts to the two girls with me. Sylvie leans on the walls with shaking arms and Uni crumples on the ground.

Out of the two, Sylvie is in better condition. Uni, however, flails around.

Grabbing her arm, I force her on her feet. But her eyes, despite looking at mine, is looking somewhere hidden. Somewhere beyond from where I stand. She keeps mumbling, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not strong enough. I'm just too weak, very weak."

Not good. She'll lose it at this rate.

I bite my lip again and grab Sylvie's arm and drag them both to the exit. It takes a toll on my body and my brain to keep going, but I can't let them stay here any longer than it is already.

A sharp sting pierces through my head, my feet continue to shuffle, and my arms are losing strength to pull the pair any further. I look back at them and they drop to the ground, unable to remain on their feet.

"Get up," I say.

But no response.

"Damn!" With every ounce of my strength, I carry them both on my shoulders and force my body to reach outside the temple. The voices no longer attack once I step out.

Staying near the entrance isn't a good idea, not for these two anyway.

I place both of their limp bodies at the base of the tree. With the sudden shift in weight, my body resigns to the ground, not caring about the itchy grass.

My body doesn't listen to me when I tell it to get back up. In our state, we're defenseless. Not a good sign. But when Uni opens her eyes, my body jerks to stand.

"M-Maki?" Uni says. "I'm . . . I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" She has nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. None of us expected voices to attack us.

"For messing up. Always messing up." She covers her face. "It always happens. Even after that time I failed to check for the magazine for any stray bullets."

I place my hands on her shoulders. "Uni, it's okay. They happen. They happen to everyone. Even me and Sylvie."

She slaps my hands off her. "You don't understand! You don't understand at all! I can't be as good as Noire if I keep failing like this. Failure is not an option. I need to succeed, but it never goes my way. And . . ." She looks down. "I wanted to make it up to you, but it always ended badly. I keep failing. I'm not strong enough. You were right. I couldn't even save my sister or anyone without Nepgear's help."

"I never said you weren't strong eno—"

"Yes, you did! You were just telling me I'm weak. I keep denying it, but it's true, isn't it?"

What did she hear in the temple? The voices I heard were unfamiliar. But why was it my voice she heard?

"I even told you I'll do a great job showing you the wonders of Lastation."

I don't want this. She's not herself.

"Hey, remember the time I was telling you how to start a vacuum cleaner for the first time?"

I do, but it wasn't her fault.

" _Say, um, Uni? How does this thing work?"_

" _It's simple. Just plug the socket in and—"_

" _Ack! My coat! My coat!"_

" _Ah, crap. Sor—"_

" _No! The—*_ shatter* _—vase . . ."_

If anything, that was my fault. I shouldn't have looked at the hole like an idiot. I shouldn't have asked for her help. I should've just figured it out myself.

"And that time you were cooking us lunch?"

That one was different. It was hard to see the spilled juice on the floor in the first place.

" _A-aah!"_

" _Huh? Uni, what happened? Are you all right?"_

" _Wait! There's juice on the floor!"_

 _*Thud, Clang*_

" _Ow! Hot, hot!"_

" _H-hold on. I have a towel right—whoa!"_

" _Ack!"_

She wasn't usually clumsy. But it was bound to happen with a pitcher full of juice taking over most of the floor.

"And . . . and . . ."

"Uni, stop. Please. I can't stand seeing you like this."

She pauses before taking out something like a smaller version of her weapon, but still not looking at me. "I've been meaning to give you this. But I didn't know when. Maybe now's the right time." She reaches it out to me, and I accept it on my palm. "It's a customized version of the Magnum Research Desert Eagle. Your hands are just a bit bigger than mine, so it wasn't that hard to customize it.

"What do you think? It's bad, isn't it?"

"No, it's amazing." What else am I supposed to tell her? I can understand the feeling of fault, but not the feeling of failure. I don't remember how that felt, so I have no idea what words I'm supposed to tell her.

"Maki," she says as she stares directly into my right eye. "Can . . . can you forget this ever happened? I-I don't know what came over me." Her face flushed; she breaks the lock on our gaze.

I shake my head and force a smile for her. "Done and deal."

"I-I got most of the parts from a factory."

"The one with the Killachine?" She nods. That's a lot of unnecessary trouble she had to go through. I would've accepted anything she'd given me, even if they're just words. "Uni, I—"

 _Clang._

The magnum on my hand drops to the ground. There won't be any space if I didn't let go of it.

There wasn't any sound.

But my body processed what happened faster than my brain would.

Eyes closed.

Arms on the sides.

My arms wrap around the limp body of a raven-haired girl with a hole in her dress near the chest area. No burnt marks. But visible.

I want to wake up, but this isn't a dream.

This is reality.

And reality will not let you have the leisure of remaining in a dream—A dream where no problem occurs, no nightmares.

But right at this moment, at this time, at this place.

I am in a nightmare.

* * *

~ **Nepstation** ~

Neptune: "You're watching Nepstation! I'm your favorite host: Neptune! And today we're here with . . ."

Noire: "I'm telling you for the last time. Stop slamming your body on the table!"

Neptune: "But it's nice and warm though."

Zidawn: "Ladies, we're on a schedule here."

Noire: "Sorry, we'll get to it."

Neptune: "Man, Noire, you need to take a chill pill sometimes."

Noire: "Oh, come on. You're always make this longer than necessary. Just get on with the program already."

Neptune: "Sure thing, Ms. Lonely Heart! Ahem. Things are taking for a turn here. Creepy voices and now something unexpected happens! What'll happen to Uni after this? Have you any say in this, Noire?"

Noire: "Well, for one thing, I don't know how I feel about Uni with Sylvie."

Neptune: "Oh, jealous, are we? Don't worry, Noire. It's not that bad if your younger sister gets a friend first instead of you."

Noire: "H-Hey! I have . . . friends."

Neptune: "Anything else you'd like to add, Zidawn?"

Zidawn: "Actually, I do."

Noire: "Hey, don't ignore me!"

Zidawn: "Recently, I've been making longer chapters than the ones I've done in the past. I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but I'd like to hear some of your opinions about it. Are you okay with longer ones? Or do you want me to keep it short? I'll be fine with either of them. Just thought I'd like to get the word out."

Neptune: "I'd like bigger puddings in the fic, please."

Zidawn: "Oh, also, it's nearing the end of Act I. Yes, there are arcs. At first, I thought I'd make it into three separate Fanfic, but then scrapped that idea and compiled them into one. Of course, if you'd like to comment or PM me about it, you're more than welcome to do so."

Noire: "What are the other Arcs supposed to be?"

Zidawn: "Well, now that's still a secret. Well, anyway. That's about everything I have to say. Carry on."

Noire: "That's a shame."

Neptune: "Alright! Now that that's over. It's about time we wrap up this Nepstation. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe!"

Noire: "Neptune, that's a different platform."

Neptune: "See ya folks in the next chapter!"


	32. One Week

**Chapter 32**

 _One Week_

Day One.

I wake up and skip breakfast. Chian wouldn't mind if I don't show up today. Maybe. My mind tells me to visit Sylvie. But my feet take me to a hospital. Outside, that is. And it's near the park Sylvie took me before. Call me strange, but I like it here.

I sit on one bench. The one closest to the hospital. Not path-wise, but view-wise. It's comfy here. So, it's not all that bad.

There's only one thing I find—the window on the far right on the third floor.

The windows are open, and only the curtains move.

~0~0~0~

Day Two.

The cold bullets of the rain hit my face. No one is around the park. Perfect. Just how I want it.

I look around and see two dogs running for a nearby roof to protect themselves under the rain. It's not wrong to do so, but the rain feels nice on the skin, even if most of it makes the clothes go damp instead. Once you overcome the cold, though, it becomes soothing afterward.

About two hours pass by.

Nothing happens.

Good.

~0~0~0~

Day Three.

The morning arrives and the only thing I grab from Chian is a take-out of three slices of triangle sandwiches.

I arrive at my favorite bench and sit there again.

A large round clock stands near the fountain of the park. How did I not see that before? Alice was right. Some things do tend to stick out if you pause your thoughts long enough. The things in the background do stand out if you do.

I peek at the window again. The windows are closed this time.

Curtains are still. No movement whatsoever.

The time was around six o'clock when I bought these sandwiches, wrapped in tissues and plastic and all.

It takes me nine o'clock to eat them.

They're not warm anymore, but Chian does a great job at making these. Enough to satisfy the growl that creeps the depths of my stomach.

~0~0~0~

Day Four.

Rain again.

I didn't go out today. But Noire allowed me to sweep Uni's room with a broom. Said it'll go dusty if it's not maintained. She usually makes the staffs do it, but she gave me permission for the floor.

Just the floor.

But it was all right. The room is not too large and not too small.

Even with the guns on the walls, furniture, and bed around the room. Still, with all those things around, there's a word floating around the place.

It's empty.

~0~0~0~

Day Five.

Noire left for Planeptune. Only I remained in the Basilicom. There's a lot of things need doing here, but it wouldn't hurt if I take a day's off.

Hours pass.

I check the door, the kitchen, the balcony.

No one.

~0~0~0~

Day Six.

I wake up and exit the Basilicom without any notice.

I buy three sandwiches.

I sit on the bench.

Nothing happens.

Good.

~0~0~0~

Day Seven.

It takes me ten o'clock to eat the three sandwiches this time. Outside. At the park. On the bench.

Nothing happens.

Good.


	33. Day Eight

**Chapter 33**

 _Day Eight_

Once again, I wake up and order three sandwiches from Chian. Even though I've done this for about a week, buying these from her was almost second nature. Usually, she'd make them for me without any questions. However, this time, since I haven't ordered my usual morning salad as of late, and I'm sure she'd already noticed it, she doesn't let this chance slip to ask me.

"Ain't you gonna go for the salad you always order?"

"No," I answer her. "I'm not in the mood to eat something from a plate for now."

"All right. Just wondering. Here you go—three slices of pizza!" At first I'm confused from what she said, but when she pulls out three sandwiches in a small plastic and shoves it towards me, my face squints. "Just messin' with ya. Thanks and come again!" She pats my shoulder and retreats to another room.

 _Thanks._

I wish I can say it in a casual sense. But why is it so hard to say it? It's just one word. Or two, but you get the idea. Just like that . . . in any case, I better get going.

* * *

On the way to the park, something catches the corner of my right eye. Or in this case, it's someone. It's not hard to figure out who it is or what makes her stand out. Because barely anyone wears a white coat in a non-wintery place.

"Rom, what are you doing here?" I say which startles her.

"Mister . . . Maki," she says.

"What are you doing here? Where's Blanc and Ram?"

She sighs and points at a nearby bookstore. "They're . . . in there. Buying a new . . . picture book."

That makes sense. They're kids after all. But what is she doing out here instead of being with them? It's not optimal to have children roam around the streets all alone. Let alone someone who looks innocent like her. "What are you doing out here then?"

"I'm . . . looking for Miss Sylvie's new shop." So, she's interested in potions or something? I'm not one to judge people, but it's quite strange for a child to have interests in potions.

Regardless, I tell her the direction where it's located. I've been there quite several times already, so it's not difficult to locate it even when we're technically somewhere in the middle of the city. But with the culprit still on the prowl, I don't plan on letting her go there all by herself. So, I take her there instead. She didn't disapprove the idea.

We don't really talk on the way there. And I don't have anything in mind to open a discussion or anything. My mind is still in a fog and there's just nothing popping in it.

When we get to the door to Sylvie's shop, I knock three times. Only, it takes me five more times to actually get her to open. I'm sure I know what she's doing right now. "Wait, I'll be right there!" After a few good seconds, the door opens and we're met with Sylvie with goggles on her head. She greets me and smiles but pauses when she sees Rom at my side.

"Said she wanted to check the place out," I say. This snaps her back.

"A-ah, yeah, sure. Come in." She lets Rom inside the building and turns back to me. "You coming in too? I'm making a new type of potion. It's to help make nails grow back faster."

The mention of her new potion idea gives my spine a shiver. Last time she did it, it didn't end well. For her, anyway. I thought she wouldn't resort to anything growth-related after that whole catastrophe. I guess not. But that's her problem and not mine.

"No, I've got different plans today."

She waves and closes the door. And with that, I make my way to the park.

~0~0~0~

"So," Sylvie says as she takes a seat on her countertop, "What brings the Princess to my humble abode? Is there something you need of me?" This results in a frown from me. Since her shop is devoid of people, it runs no risk. But I'd prefer she doesn't do that, for safety reasons than anything else.

"Spare me the pleasantries," I struggle to say. Before coming here, I practiced speaking how Rom would do it. It took me a while to access Rom's memories enough to get a good sense of her dialect. However, doing so didn't make my voice happy about it.

"That's a tough request. Even if you're in the body of a child, just knowing what's behind that makes it difficult for me." I would think the case would be the opposite.

"Has Maki believed you yet?" Seeing them interact earlier got me curious to know. The question gets me a smile from her. More like a grin, on the contrary.

"He's helping out with the shop sometimes. Does that answer your question?" It does. When I heard that Sylvie opened a business at Lastation from Mina one day, it gained my interest. Because from what I've heard, she would have needed to ask permission from the Basilicom, and that's where Maki was at the time. But her next words disrupt my thoughts. "Well . . . not until a week ago."

From the way she worded it, it doesn't spell anything good. "He said he wouldn't help you anymore?" I just got to ask about it. Whenever he sets his mind on doing something, he would keep on doing it until he says he'll resign from it.

However, what I get is Sylvie shaking her head no.

"He just stopped coming here. I'd be mad by now since he never gave me an explanation why, but the thing is . . . Even if he doesn't tell me, I already know the reason. The reason why he stopped coming here. Don't worry, it's no surprise if you don't know about it. It was only between Rivi, Uni and me."

"Rivi?" She knows about it?

"Oh, right. I got a bit careless there." She blocks her cough with a fist. "It's a nickname we used to call him. You wouldn't know about it." Except her brows furrow when I answer her with a head shake no too.

"I do know about it. In fact, that's how I also call him."

She doesn't react. No, nevermind. She hops off her countertop and buries herself to a corner of the room. "I thought it was a special nickname only we know about and no one else. Looks like it wasn't. Next time he goes here, I'll make sure to beat some senses to him." I don't know what's scarier, her sulking or her giving death threats. Maybe both.

"Hm? _We_? It's not just you?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm sure _everyone_ knows about it by now. Just like that. Maybe even the Queen of the Harpy clan knows about it too? That's cool." Whoa, she's not taking this well, is she? Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about it.

"W-well, it can't be helped. It's his nickname."

"I know. I was just joking." She stands back up and leans on her countertop instead of sitting on it. I, however, am taken out of my seat from what she said. Now I don't know what's grimmer, her acting or her sense of humor. Again, maybe both.

"By we," she starts, "I mean the other friends we both have." That's hard to imagine. Maki (or Rivi) never interacted with anyone when I saw him roaming around the castle back then.

"Who are they?" This is it. I'm stepping over some kind of line at this point. But it's not something I want to overlook.

"I mentioned him back at the picnic, but his name is Kyle. The other one, however, is a girl my age named Nana. There was also another one. Although I don't know her age, she was a Harpy. I didn't get her name though. It's a shame, but that's about how many we are." A half-elf and now someone from the Harpy Clan? I'd imagine only a traveler would befriend different races like that. But how did Maki meet them? Then again, I know little about his past. Or any for that matter.

"But he doesn't visit you often anymore?" Somehow, the idea boils Rom's face. Even if it was only a week, he shouldn't have neglected her if she was his friend. Let alone not telling her wasn't going here anymore.

"I know what you're thinking," Sylvie says. "And it's nothing like that. You've heard news about Uni, correct?"

I nod, but I don't get what relations it has about him being a jerk to her.

"Again, it's not like that." How did she know what I was thinking? "I get your surprise, but don't worry. I'm not reading your mind or anything. It's just written all over your face. You see, I was there when it happened."

"What happened?" I ask almost automatically, but then I instantly regret saying it without giving it a thought. I'm not sure why, but I feel like I don't want to know what event occurred to them. It's too late though. I've already said it.

Then she explained it to me. With every little detail. About how he went out of his way to help her apologize to Uni (I know how it feels to apologize like that, because I also have a hard time doing so), how they went to a mysterious temple, how she woke up under a tree and seeing Maki with Uni on his hands, screaming. It's hard to imagine that, though. Because of all the things I've seen him do, it was never him screaming. And just the thought of it makes my hand scratch my head. Sylvie never knew what happened; Maki never told her.

"After that," Sylvie continues, "I kept seeing him sitting alone at the park. With a plastic bag on his hands. Not all the time, but most days this past week. Even when it was raining." I want to tell her to stop, but I can't get myself to say it. Because I want to know what she saw for the whole week.

"Which park is it?"

"The one near the hospital Uni is confined." Her statement makes my stomach churn after hearing her say confined. The word echoes inside my head, because right now I'm also confined. To a body that's not mine. "Want me to show you where?"

I shake my head harder than usual. "No, I already told Blanc and Rom to pick me up here after they're finished with their business." I didn't notice earlier, but the air here is clean even with all the unique concoctions placed in each aisle of shelves in her shop. Has Maki been the one maintaining the air here? There's also a candle which I'm guessing is unscented, on top of the countertop.

"Did you talk to him when he was there?" I ask. But all I get is a no from her.

"I was afraid, Princess." She stands straight and wraps her arms around herself. "Afraid that I'll see another side of him I've never ever seen before. I don't want to know, and I don't want to find out. Because it wasn't the Rivi I know."

It's hard to sympathize with her, but I can tell how much this hurts her. She had to experience something horrible, while I'm here forcing her to remember the memories that pained her the most. She could have rejected telling me, but maybe it's because of my position as the princess that's keeping her from saying no? Now I feel more of a jerk for forcing her into it. I should have considered her feelings.

"So, you just watched him?" I ask.

"From afar, yes," she replies. "But . . . I am glad you took him here. He seems better than how I usually observed him. However . . ."

"He was holding some kind of plastic in his hands."

I wish I could help her out, help him out, help both of them out. But I'm very limited with how I am right now. "I can't stay much longer. Blanc might pick me up at any moment."

"It's all right." She places a hand on my shoulder. "If anything, I'm more than glad to have this conversation with you. The burden inside me lightened up, and it's thanks to you. You have other problems yourself. You can count on me if anything happens." I already do.

"Rom? Are you in here?" Blanc's voice. It's time for me to leave.

I hop off the stool I sat on and make my way to the door.

"Wait," Sylvie says, stopping me in my tracks. "Here, take this." She hands me a small bottle, this time with the pinkish color instead of a blue one. "Use this when your mana runs out." Winking, she heads to the back of the shop and disappears into another room.

Opening the door, Blanc has a plastic bag on her left hand while Ram holding her left.

"We'll be visiting Uni before we head back," Blanc says with the same monotonous voice she always has. "Finished everything here?"

"Yes . . . let's go."

* * *

 **Zidawn: You might wonder about the successive upload recently. That was because I decided to not bother how many words each chapter will have (Plus, these chapters were already written beforehand, so there you go). I've read different novels and found one that intrigued me with his writing style, chapter-wise. And with such, there won't be a specific amount of words per chapter. Only a specific amount of scenes.**

 **Also, I'm not one to force people on things, but I enjoy reading your comments/reviews about this Fanfic. Whether it's a nice one or one with constructive criticism, it doesn't matter. It just means a lot to me if you place down what thoughts you have about the story and whatnot.**

 **Some of you might be disappointed with the lack of relevance Nep and her friends have for the first story arc, but don't worry. They'll be more relevant on the second arc, I promise. I'm just trying to lay down some foundations first before reaching there.**

 **Also, also (whoa, this might be my longest A/N ever), I'm not an expert with character development. But some might be anxious who the romance will be, since it's the second genre for this story. For one thing, it's not a harem. I'll leave you guessing who it is though. Who knows? Could be an unexpected one. :3**

 **If you want to submit story chapter ideas to me, you can PM me. I already have some chapters and scenes set and stone, but I'm open to people who want to share their ideas. I'll give you a shout out if the story chapter is selected. I'm not trying to make this story perfect, but I want it to at least be enjoyable to read.**

 **As always, thanks for reading up to this point. It means a lot to me, especially since there are actually people there who reads my crappy chapters. X3**

 **Anyway, hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	34. She's There, She's Here

**Chapter 34**

 _She's There, She's Here_

Something's wrong with me.

I know because for the next three days, the plates I usually wipe dry before placing them in the cupboard broke. It's a good thing we have spares, though they also broke, and I'm sure Noire is already getting annoyed from it. So, it takes me more time to finish washing the dishes than how I usually do it. Slow, but it's better than picking up the shattered pieces every single time.

Within those three days, I continued my visits to the park whenever I tell Noire I was headed for the Guild to do some quests. Except I didn't go for the Guild. It was just an excuse to visit her and head to the library afterward.

Sylvie was the one who pointed the library out to me when I visited her in her shop the next day after I brought Rom there. It was just a whim, but I asked her how she knows much about Gamindustri than me and that's when she said, "From the library. If you want, I can take you there." I agreed and now I know some more stuff about Gamindustri. Still not as much as Sylvie, though.

But even with those bits of knowledge, nothing much changed inside me.

* * *

The next morning dawns on Lastation and this time I'll visit Uni in her room instead of the park. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep lying to Noire about visiting her for the past few days. I couldn't do it. I'll only see the results of my actions.

But now I've worked up my courage to step inside the building. It's my only chance before heading off.

No one but me can understand the dread I feel as I take more steps through the linear hallway in the hospital third floor. They have an elevator here, but I didn't use it, because I'm sure I'll become sick if I used it to get here. Even after my experience of climbing an endless stair of the tallest tower in Lluna, stairs are by far the only ones I can trust to get me up floor after floor.

My stomach churns even more when the door to Uni's room closes in. I might get to a point where I'd paint the white walls with colors, but not the pretty kind.

However, when I open the door with the numbers 029, someone was already there. Or in this case, two lilac-haired girls.

"Goodness, it's just Maki. You scared me. Are you here to visit Uni too?" Nepgear asks.

 _I'm just here to remind myself_ , I think. But they don't need to know that. It'll probably worry them if I do. Nor do they need to know how much struggle I had to go through just to step foot in this very building.

"That, I am. The other ones, not," I say, forgetting that I'm not answering Uni's question in an alleyway.

"Huh? What other ones?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. So, uh, can I come inside? It's getting awkward standing out here." A lie. Because as much as possible, I'd prefer to stand out here for whatever length I can have. Even just a little. But I can't let her know about it.

"Ah, sorry." She steps aside and lets me in the white room with a strange smell beyond my comprehension.

Neptune sits on the foldable chair next to the bed where Uni is. Still unconscious.

To my left, a door that leads to the restroom; and to my front near the bed, a large window with white but translucent curtains that needs folding. With nothing much to do in my hands, I fold it myself. Although it's mostly to distract me from looking at the person on the bed. It works and I remain at this spot. Near the window.

"How long have you two been here?" I ask. Honestly, it's a surprise for them to be here this early. And I thought Neptune wasn't the typical one to go out in the morning.

"Jush haw," Neptune answers with a mouthful of pudding. Even though she's a girl, that's gross, even for her.

That also explains the curtain, but not the dozens of cups littered on the floor. Neptune might have a pudding addiction, but I can't imagine her eating this much within a small amount of time. Either they've been here earlier and the nurse chose not to clean it up, or she's just a fast eater. I can't pick either which is more believable, but Neptune is unpredictable to begin with.

I'm still cautious around her. When I was with Sylvie and Uni, 'it' went out of control for a moment. It was fine since Sylvie was there, but it's only me and these two here. The last thing I want is an outbreak with Uni here.

There are only two seats in this room. I'd grab a chair somewhere, but I'm not staying long anyway. So, I let the two sisters take both seats, much to Nepgear's protests.

I open the window because if I inhale the same air for too long, it suffocates me. Letting the breeze hit my back, I lean on the edges of the window. It's a nice feeling, but after a few seconds, a hint of sunlight enters the room., which causes my eye to squint and lose focus. It takes a few seconds to get my vision to adjust to the new brightness, but when it does, I'm met with a painting one could argue as a perfect display for a gallery or museum.

The light-yellow tint with some orange that envelops the room, the two sisters sitting next to the bed, the raven-haired girl lying on the bed. A perfect painting. As if the sun is the one painting it and it's telling me to move out of the way because I might ruin it. And it's right.

No matter how much I deny it, it's right. It's always right.

* * *

Should I even be here?

Neptune and Nepgear. They've been—they've known her longer than I have. And I'm right here, trespassing their territory. What am I doing here anyway? Nothing will change even if I visit her. I'm not getting any closer to knowing anything about her. Not after what happened.

In fact, the only times I got to talk to her much was when she followed me after I first found her loitering in an alleyway and met her there. And also the time when she failed to remain hidden in the bushes during our picnic.

But once I started staying at their place, she talked to me less and less. Almost to a point where she'd ignore me entirely. And the scary part? She told me why. That she's the one to blame. That she can never be as good as her older sister. I want to tell her she's wrong. But how will I do that if I'm a part of her struggle? Why am I part of her struggle in the first place? If she wakes up, will she even listen to what I say?

 _If she wakes up_.

No, not if. _When_ she wakes up. That's right. There are no ifs, only when. When she wakes up, I'll tell her even if she never listens.

I didn't want her to disregard me to any of her conversations entirely, so I made sure we had something we could talk about. Although there are points where she would lock herself in her room instead. And I'm sure it's because of this magnum she gave me. With how radiant it was in my palms, it was perfect. She should have realized it at that moment that it was her hard work and skills that made that magnum.

I'd take it out and look at its magnificence again, but a part of me doesn't want anyone else to see until I give Uni a proper thanks.

But the whole thing happened so fast after she gave the magnum to me that the words I was supposed to form into a thank filled with gratitude turned into a scream filled with confusion and anger.

* * *

Burning the scenery before me, I make sure to capture every little detail to remind myself if I ever get careless again. Nepgear who has her hand on Uni's, while Neptune continues to eat pudding shows nothing but a smile on her face. I wish I can do the same, but that's impossible.

And it'll also remind me, that even for a second that I let my guard down, I'll never get another chance to thank anyone.

I get closer to Uni's bed at the other side from where the two Planeptune sisters are sitting. From where I stand, a pendant shines its silent light on the nearby table next to Neptune. Silent, but noticeable. It reflects its light towards me.

That pendant—the Divinity Pendant—was a gift from my mother.

And it's also one reason why I remind myself. Of what I can and cannot do. Of what I am and am not.

My mother gave it to me before she abandoned me, but not in a way some people may think. Perhaps "abandon" is too confusing for people to understand. But she did it to keep me from getting caught in the middle of a crisis in our village.

"Where are you going?" Neptune asks after clamping on the tail-end of my coat.

"To a temple," I say. Yes, the same one. And there's no reason for me to hide it from them.

"A temple? What are you going to do there?" Nepgear asks and follows us to the door I'm almost out of.

"Maybe he's gonna go there and make those offering thingamajigs," Neptune says. "Just make sure you don't hit a switch and trigger a trap like a boulder rolling to your doom or something. Ooh, but are there any puzzles there that needs-a-solvin'? In that case, tag me along!"

I'm pretty sure there's nothing complicated there," I say. Except maybe for the voices, but other than that, there wasn't anything too complex when Alice and I went for the one in Lluna.

I don't mind them coming, but will they be fine once they step into the temple? The voices overwhelmed Sylvie, Uni, and I. And since I know what to expect, I won't have too many problems. Maybe. But I can't say the same for these two.

"If it's no trouble, can we come along?" Nepgear asks.

Again, I don't mind, but there's something I want to make sure before we do head out.

"Will you two be all right if you start hearing voices? Are your minds tough enough?" I ask.

"Hear voices? What do you mean?"

"Entering the temple will have voices that'll attack you until you break." I saw a side Uni has that I wish I never saw or heard. And it still scares me. Because when she acted the way she did, memories of my own pathetic self go upfront. Memories that I did my hardest to forget. Memories that no one should ever find out about.

"No need to worry about that!" Neptune smacks my back. "Nothing can turn this smile into a frown. Trust me!" Sometimes I wish to have some of her optimism.

"Hm? Isn't that . . .?" Nepgear picks up the pendant on the table. "Did you leave it here by accident?"

 _No_ , I want to tell her. But I can't bring myself to say it. Is it because I gave it to Uni without telling any of them? They know some of what the pendant can do. What will they say if I tell them the reason I gave it to Uni was to protect her from danger, especially the Marks? Only for her to end up in that bed. In this very room?

"Ah right, whoops. Must've left it there when I came here yesterday," I lie.

I take the Divinity Pendant from Nepgear's hands and tuck it inside my pocket.

"You're not gonna wear that sucker?" Neptune asks.

"No. I don't want to lose this again. So, I'll keep it safe in here." I tap on the pocket where I placed the pendant, the left side on the front of my coat.

"Alrighty then!" Neptune slams open the door that leads outside of the room. "Get your hardhats and pickaxes 'cuz we're gonna mine us some diamonds and puddings! Oh, and also puddings!" She leaps out and poses.

"Pretty sure pudding doesn't come from underground," I say.

"What are you talkin' about? Grab a pill and use that imagination of yours. If we find the lost city of El Pudding, my stomach will be filthy rich!"

What a greedy girl. Also, we're not going to any caves for this one though.

"It's a temple, Neptune. Not a city or whatever you're thinking of," I say.

"C'mon, Nep Jr.! Let's grab some equipment before we venture into the places unknown!" And she's not listening to a word I'm saying.

"Right behind you, sis." Nepgear follows the marching Neptune towards the elevator.

Even if those two get a head start, only I know where the temple is located. They'll be waiting outside until I make my way out as well. But there's something I need to do first before I go.

After the two Planeptune sisters get out of sights, I rush my way back to the table and place the pendant back. Except this time I hide it behind an empty picture frame.

Before I close the door, I take one last look at Uni.

Somewhere and sometime, she was near. Yet now she's far. Too far. Beyond my reach, and possibly from the others as well.

But I'm not looking to get her close to me.

The fact that I'm the reason why Neptune, Nepgear, Noire, or anyone else who knows and cares for her no longer reach her, I'll also be the reason for them to close in that distance again.

Just wait for me Uni.

And wait for her, Noire.

~0~0~0~

At some point in our journey (if you can call it one in the first place), Neptune got so tired that she latched herself onto me without warning.

It surprises me of course, but I stopped telling her off about it because she kept whining and complaining. And it would never end until I let her do what she wanted. A pain and annoyance, but whatever. Also, Nepgear kept apologizing about her sister's actions so I reassured her it's fine. My mind is focused elsewhere anyway.

These two can be such a handful sometimes. Well, I'm not sure about "sometimes" though. But not the types that make people want to get away from them. It might not even be an exaggeration when I say they're a lively bunch.

"Where are we?" Nepgear asks. "I've never been on this side of Lastation before."

"Uni said the same thing," I say. Except for the argument she and Sylvie had after she commented about it. I saw and heard her talking down to people before, but didn't keep that fact about her in mind. A part of her still has elven blood, so she must still care about nature.

"She came here with you?"

"About a week or so ago before she . . ." My words trail off, because the image of Uni getting pierced with a thin ray of white light through her chest forces its way forward to my thoughts again.

Honestly, I don't want to come back here if I can help it. But here I am, in the same place, walking the same grass.

But it isn't exactly because of Uni that makes me feel this way—no, it's more so because of the voice I heard in the temple. Those words made me feel something I haven't felt for the longest time.

Yet I can't get a grasp as to what it is.

Was it fear?

No. I would have sprinted out of the temple and disregard Sylvie and Uni if it was.

Was it guilt?

Perhaps, but there's nothing coming to mind as to what it is.

It makes little sense for me, but I do know what I'm feeling right at this moment I'm walking with Neptune and Nepgear.

 _Curiosity._

Alice kept warning me, time and time again, to never let my curiosity take the better of me. And I listened for the longest time she's with me. Because I've already let it control me before. But it still takes over me without me noticing. So, the results? Always the same thing. Regrets. Nothing but regrets.

And right now? The exact same thing. The exact same feeling.

"We're here . . ." It's exactly how it was when we left it. The only thing different now is the two girls I'm with.

Neptune and Nepgear.

Not Sylvie and Uni.

"Huh? We are? I don't see anything here," Neptune says as she shifts her head around. "You sure we're in the right place?"

"I also don't see anything," Nepgear says.

"Of course you won't," I say. "There's a barrier hiding it from plain sight. Hold on, let me get rid of it first."

I let Neptune down and step forward. Then I place my hand on the barrier. As my hand recognizes the familiar coldness and hardness of the barrier, a thought loom over me.

Is it a good idea to bring these two with me here? The way Sylvie and Uni looked when they entered the temple with me . . . I want to forget all of it. At that time, they weren't themselves. Like they were different persons. Especially Uni.

I move my eyepatch to the side, making sure those two don't see "it," and focus everything to my hand. Somehow, this barrier reacts to "it." The first time I was here with the other two, the barrier opened by accident.

Once the barrier disappears, I hide my left eye once again.

"Whoa, and I thought it's gonna be one of those thrashed up places n' stuff," Neptune says.

"It looks so clean," Nepgear says. "Are you sure this was built a long time ago?"

"Positive." I was about to add something but backed off on it.

Now is the time for us to go inside. I'm still not sure about this, however. Maybe I should have kept the barrier up and lie to them to make them leave? But I don't know. There's something stopping me from doing exactly that. Like I'm not allowed to lie to them about it.

"Great! Now that the whole dramatic scene where the barrier goes down to the Dark Lord's lair is finished," _What?_ "let's get excavatin'!" Neptune starts towards the temple entrance, but I grab the back of her hoodie's collar and lift her up in the air. "Hey, bub, what's the big idea lifting little ol' me?"

"Careful," I say as I keep a flailing Neptune in the air and from hitting me. "Voices will attack you once you take a step in."

"Don't'cha worry, Iffy number two!" Number two? How am I number two? Plus I'm no 'Iffy' at any levels. Maybe. I'm not sure. "I've got a key fragment and a goddess bangle on me. My MEN stats should be more than enough, plus I've got my convenient protagonist plot armor."

"I'm not familiar with any of those, but try not to get overly confident." I drop her down and she stretches her body as though a marathon is about to start.

"Just you watch. I'll dash right in there and come out without a scratch or faze."

"Again, they're just voices."

"Be careful, sis." As Nepgear gets the words out, Neptune indeed dashes her way to the temple. When she does, I trail close behind her alongside Nepgear to make sure I'll have a good enough range to get them out of here like last time if the voices ever affect her.

The instant Neptune's figure enters the doorway, my heart pounds harder. The voices could attack her at any point.

Nepgear and I take a step in not too long after as well. I glance at Nepgear's direction, examining her face every time, at frequent intervals just in case she gets affected. So far so good. But we're already deep inside the temple and the voices still aren't attacking us. What's going on? When Sylvie and Uni came with me here, the attacks were almost immediate.

After we turn to a corner going right, we see Neptune at the end of this hallway with a smirk on her face. "See? What did I tell ya?"

"It doesn't make any sense," I say, furrowing my eyebrows. "When Sylvie and Uni came inside with me, the voices attacked us before we even get the chance to reach the middle part of the hallway."

"Maybe the voices got bored and left?" Nepgear says. Highly unlikely though.

"I'm not sure that's how it works." Also, the idea sounds weird coming from Nepgear. I'd expect Neptune to be the one to say that outlandish idea. "In any case, we should check the place out."

Just like the one Alice and I found in Lluna, the area in this part is larger compared to the path we used. However, this time a large tree with small balls of glowing blue light dance around it. Vines cover the walls (oh, and the colors are mostly black with some gray and white around), the floor is tiled, and the ceiling has cracks and holes that reveal the thousands of stars and a single waning gibbous moon.

"Wait, it's night already?" Neptune points out. And it's true. The sun was just after its peak when we came here.

"That's odd. What do you think is the reason?" Nepgear asks.

"Beats me. Why don't we ask that lady under the tree over there?" Neptune points her finger at the woman with the pink hair that's tied into a bun near the scalp with two sticks holding it in place and has her back turned towards us. "Hey lady!"

"Who goes there?" the pink-haired lady asks and turns around. "No one should be able to get in here. Leave now or else I'll—wait, is that . . . Are you . . .?"

I don't understand. She looks at me as though she saw a ghost. But when she takes a brown teddy bear out and hugs it a certain way, my face mimics hers.

This is our first meeting, but at the same time, it's not our first meeting. Because I know what her name is. I know what that teddy bear is, its name, and why she's so fond of it. I know the gentle pale magenta eyes she has and her small nose.

She was always with Sylvie and me.

She was always a soft-hearted person.

She was always the light of our group.

She is Nana Everglow.


	35. Nana's Proposition

**Chapter 35**

 _Nana's Proposition_

I won't make the same mistake again. It hurt Sylvie when I didn't believe her at first. This time, however, will be different.

But will I be able to handle even that at all?

Thinking, I silently clench my fists.

I made a promise with Uni. If that's not enough to help with my resolve, then no one will trust me. I won't even trust myself at that point. Hence, the reason for coming here again. Reminding myself—I told that to Neptune and Nepgear, yes, but I only did that to gain some resolve to step back here again.

At this temple.

Did it work? Maybe, but Neptune forced me to run in here without a second thought. For a moment back there, something flashed in my eye, and my legs moved on its own.

I have to thank Neptune for that. But I don't appreciate her recklessness, even if she did tell us, because it could have worried her sister more than I would. Nepgear, though I never really had a proper chance to talk with her without interruption, is someone I know for a fact cares for her sister deeply than anyone else.

And I guess I could say she also has the same towards Uni.

If Nana is here, maybe, just maybe, I can finally have some kind of hope of curing Uni from whatever state she's in. And I won't take no for an answer.

* * *

"Is that really you?" Nana repeats her question, the side bangs of her face sways along with the night breeze. If it's the night breeze in the first place. This place would have been in complete darkness if it weren't for those glowing balls giving off light.

However, like how I was with Sylvie, she's being skeptical about this. It makes sense anyway. I did it to Sylvie, so it makes sense if I'm put in the same position as hers.

"Been a while, huh . . ." I pause. My mind tells me to call her how I used to call her, like how I did with Sylvie, but she may not be comfortable with it again. "Nana." There, I said it. Hopefully, she'll understand it's nothing (I want to say personal, but the thing is, it _is_ personal) against her or there's anything between us.

"A while? That's an understatement! I wanted to see everyone again. But . . . I knew I wasn't in Lluna. She wraps her arms around her.

She is scared—was scared—and still scared. The same way Sylvie felt when she first woke up in Gamindustri. Though unlike Sylvie, Nana isn't independent in a way similar to her. I can't imagine her walking around Haneda City; she might end up worse than I did.

I'm glad she's okay. Like I said, things could've gotten worse for her. But it didn't, so I'm glad. Glad that she's okay, and glad that nothing much changed about her.

And yet my fists won't stop clenching.

How long has she been here? The same time as Sylvie when she first got here? Or longer? Did she hide here ever since she found herself alone in an unfamiliar place? The questions keep piling up, higher and higher, yet they remain unanswered.

Without any warning, she throws herself to my arms. Completely defenseless, and yet she's allowing herself to be that way.

She trusts me.

I didn't trust Sylvie.

If only I was trusting just as Nana is right now, maybe I won't feel undeserving.

Nana gives us both some distance and asks, "Were you the one who came here not too long ago?" I nod, and this perks her up. "So, I wasn't mistaken then. But . . . who were the other two you were with?"

I give a light chuckle. "Surprise, surprise, Nana. Sylvie was with me."

The smile on her face grows wider. "Sylvie's here?! No way . . . That's awesome! But our tree is still back in Lluna though."

The tree she's talking about is at a hill not too far from our village. Although, they kept it a secret from me for several moon cycles. Standing on top of the hill, great but aged branches, a large tree with both their names on it. When they did eventually tell me about it, they tried to carve my name as well, but, er, well . . . nevermind.

Nana looks down. I can understand how important it was for her, but I can't sympathize with her about it. Even though I said it'll differ from how it went down with Sylvie, in my eyes, Nana is right in front of me. But in my mind? It's telling me not to trust what I see.

But I tap both her shoulders with my hands anyway, touching her bare skin, which gives me her full attention.

"It doesn't matter," I say. "We can just let it stay there for people to remember us."

"You're right." The smile on her face returns, and this time it's the same one she always wore back then. She might still have worries, but I'll make sure to ease them no matter how small or how large. "Wait, if you were with Sylvie . . . then who was the other person I shot?"

Maybe it's because I'm too distracted or maybe it's because I didn't register her words fast enough, but when it did, my body freezes in an instant. Mouth hanging, cold sweat trickling down my spine, eyes unblinking. Whatever she said had a huge effect on my body. I scream for it to move, but it never listens. And because it didn't listen, my mind replays her words.

 _Who was the other person I shot?_

Did I hear that correctly? Or am I just hearing things? No, it's clearly a mistake. But . . . there's no mistaking it, right? She said she shot someone. As in . . . she shot Uni? It can't be true. She wouldn't shoot someone for no reason! She wouldn't. She—

I don't want to know or hear any more from her, but the words come out of my mouth anyway. And the thing is, I don't try to stop it.

"Shot with what . . .?"

As if her tongue is full of needles, she says, "With Spirita." She points her fingers to an empty space of the wide room and recites an incantation. Not long after, small balls of white light surround her. Once she ends her chant, a fast, thin ray of light, the same exact one that pierced Uni's chest, hits a small chunk of one pillar and drills a hole that leads to the other side.

The same one that hit Uni.

My stomach twists and churns at the sight. I always try to keep a poker face whenever the insides of my abdomen feel anything off, but all those efforts are thrown at this moment.

Even if it's Nana, there's no way I'll be able to brush it off like it's nothing—no, it's because it's her that makes me feel this way.

"So . . . the reason Uni is in the hospital is because of . . ." I don't want to say it. But she's right in front of me. The person who . . . who . . . Ugh, what am I supposed to think? I rub my temples, but it doesn't help at all.

"Uni? Is that her name?" she asks.

I fight the urge to grab her neck.

"Yeah," I reply with a flat tone. "She hasn't woken up yet." It's hard getting by whatever.

"How bad is it?"

"Dunno."

Nana scrunches her face. I'm sure she didn't mean to do it. But it's becoming difficult for me to repress myself. Unlike normal or pure magic, Spirita uses spirits and spirit energy. However, that's about all I know about Spirita. If it brought Uni in such a state because of it, only she knows.

"That's a problem . . ." She places a finger to her chin. "Her waking up is almost out of the question."

To my surprise, Nepgear steps closer to Nana after hearing what she said. "Please, if there's anything we can do to help her, tell us. I don't want her to stay like that."

Nepgear must care about Uni the most, with how assertive she is about this. It makes sense for her to do this. However, I kind of prefer for her to let me talk to her about it instead. Not because I don't trust them, but because I need to take responsibilities with what happened to Uni.

And it should make it easier to convince Nana to help us since I know her more than these two. As I feared, Nana isn't taking Nepgear's assertion lightly. "Who are you supposed to be?" she asks.

Neptune lets out a haughty laugh as she introduced herself, along with her usual randomness. "Nice to meetcha, priestess lady!"

Oh, almost forgot. I was too focused on Nana and what she said that I failed to notice any differences from her old look to her current one. And as Neptune described it, Nana wears a white priestess outfit with a mix of black designs and golden linings. Most of her long hair ties up to a bun neatly on the back part, near the top of her head with two long brown sticks poking through it to keep it in place.

One noticeable feature about her dress is the detached sleeves and the length of her skirt. Her skirt's front reaches up until half of her thigh while the back part reaches all the way down to her heels.

"And this is my li'l sister, hardworking and responsible like a housewife, Nep Jr," Neptune continues.

Nepgear bowed and smiled at Nana, then extends a hand to her. It isn't taken, however, as her arm remains floating in the air before dropping it back down. "H-how about you? What's your name?" She must feel so awkward right now. So, I nudge Nana's arm, who hid behind me when Neptune introduced herself, and she steps out of hiding.

There's a short pause before she speaks. "Nice to meet you. Nana, that's my name. Nana Everglow. The Conjurer!" She shows a V-sign with her fore and middle finger.

"WHAT?!" Neptune shouts that almost bursts the depths of my ears. "Nep Jr. quick, stay away from the summoner!"

Nepgear, the confused girl she is, follows what her older sister instructs her to do and back off with question marks floating above her head. Honestly, I'm itching to land a chop down on Neptune's head for her rudeness. But because of what happened, it causes Nana to hide behind me again.

"You sure that was a good idea?" I don't hide the annoyance in my tone. It will be bad if Nana doesn't see them as people who she can trust instead of acting all hostile.

"Ahaha . . . whoopsie. Couldn't help myself," Neptune says as she scratches the back of her head. She approaches Nana and I, but this causes the hands on my arm to grip tighter. "Hey, relax. I won't bite. I promise with every pudding in my fridge." And how many, may I ask? Not even I can get the exact number, however. This calms Nana down though, loosening her grip on me and stepping back out.

"What are those supposed to mean, though?" Nepgear asks. "Sylvie calls herself the Silver Synthesist, and Maki calls himself the Sword Dancer. And you're the Conjurer, right?"

"Ah, I see my dear Nep Jr. hasn't caught up yet." Neptune pulls out a smoke pipe from who knows where and sticks it on her mouth. It blows bubbles instead of smoke though. "Like that game we beta tested before, those are their classes!" She blows out more bubbles before continuing. "There could have been multiple classes for them to choose from, but they settled in for those classes instead!"

"Goodness, that does make sense."

You just got to give Neptune a medal for her randomness. Maybe add delusional and crazy on top of it as well.

"Neptune's comments aside," I say, earning a tongue from Neptune. "Remember what I told you before?"

She nods. "Think of them as aesthetics from where you came from?" I'm more surprised she remembered the exact words I told her. Looks like there's more to her than picking random junk from garbage bins. "But isn't Conjurer similar to a Summoner?"

"It is," Nana answers. "I can summon creatures from the Spirit Realm and tell them what to do."

"Neat-O! Why can't we have summons in one of our games? I could like summon Bahamut or Leviathan or something and destroy my enemies like they were nothing."

"I don't know, Neptune," I say. "I don't know a single thing you just said. Anyway." I turn to Nana, who was hiding behind me this entire time. "There's a way to cure her, right?"

"It's possible especially if Sylvie's here." My hopes are rising. If the area is dangerous or if it's a slim chance of getting whatever we're getting, I'll take it. No matter how impossible it is. "There's a flower called a 'Dream Flower' that grows around Rebeat Resort. If you can grab some, Sylvie might be able to make you Dream Potions to cure her."

"And that'll help her?" Nepgear's question earns her a nod from Nana. This causes her to smile. "That's a relief. We should look for it sooner than later."

"You heard her, girls," I say. "Let's go get that flower."

The two nod in agreement and head back out of the temple. There's no need to keep them waiting. However, as I step out myself, I feel a tug on my sleeve.

"What is it, Nana?" She already told us she'll be fine staying there until we come back. Now I feel guilty thinking back when my hands had the urge to strangle her.

"Will you . . . come back after doing whatever you're doing?"

I pause before showing the best smile I can muster. "Of course."

~0~0~0~

"Maki?" Nepgear asks all of a sudden while we enter some metal platforms surrounded with water. "Why are you so determined to get that flower? You can just leave sis and I to search for it. You don't need to trouble yourself with this."

"That's where you're wrong," I tell her. "I need to do this, more than you'd think."

"How can you tell? There weren't many scenes of you and Uni doing stuff together," Neptune says.

". . . Maybe." She's right, of course. "We've mostly did trivial things, but she helped me understand them. For example, what's that small rectangular thing you flip open?"

"You mean this N-gear?" Nepgear pulls out the same device Uni showed me. Only, hers is purple instead of black.

"Right" It's quite ironic how her name is similar to the device's name. Is that some kind of new fashion sense around here? "I also have unfinished business with her. And I already promised her to finish it before moving to check Lowee." Then maybe Leanbox as well. We've only had a picnic there once, and with some other business I had with a certain person, but I haven't checked the whole place out properly. And it wouldn't be fair from the other three.

"Promise? What kind of promise did you two make?" Neptune asks.

"That's . . . a secret."

"WHAT?! Oh c'mon. It wouldn't hurt even if you tell us."

"No, and that's final."

It's more for Uni's sake than mine. Either I'd never hear the end of it from her or Uni would never hear the end of it from these two. That's also within the promise.

Promise.

I never really thought about it but this is the first time I cared this much about a promise. And I want to keep this feeling. No matter what stands in my way, nothing will get me to waver, and I will fulfill my promise.

* * *

 **Zidawn: I apologize for the lack of updates. As of late, I'm dealing with crisis (mainly school related, I mean who wouldn't?) and it's taking up the majority of my time. I was able to get this out, but I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with the results. I might come back and tweak here and there.**

 **Now, though, I'll only be able to write bits of the stuff whenever I can. It's inconsistent, but it's better than nothing.**

 **Again, thanks for reading until this point. I truly appreciate it. Well then, see you in the next chapter.**


	36. Dream Flowers

**Chapter 36**

 _Dream Flowers_

Neptune leads the way through the long, linear, but branching paths of Rebeat resort with Nepgear and I trailing close behind her. During our march, Nepgear stops and says something thing that makes sense or makes me an idiot.

"Do flowers actually grow here?"

My legs come to a halt upon hearing her words and my eyes widen. "But there are flowers that grow on water, right?" Water lilies and lily pads grow on top of water, right?

"Nope! Unless we make a dive for it, there's only water as far as the eyes can see," Neptune says as she cups her hands into binoculars, looking at different directions.

"But then what's the point in bringing us here? Did Nana . . . did she lie to us?" There's no way; that's hard to believe. But here we are, and there are no flowers in sight. If it was Neptune or Sylvie's pranks, I'd get it, just a joke from them. But they weren't the ones who told us the flowers are here.

"She wasn't lying. I have what you're all looking for, right here."

The three of us turn to the source of the fruity voice. Standing on top of the edge of the path, a person with a brown cloak holds out a bouquet with blue flowers. Blue illuminating flowers. They're oddly familiar.

"Ooh, a totally suspicious person arrived," Neptune says as though it was the normal thing in the world. "Are those for me? Oh, you shouldn't have. My fans give me pudding all the time!" Wait, but he's holding out flowers. She makes this incomprehensible laugh, but my attention was more towards the man before us.

"They are not for you," the cloaked man replies, chuckling.

"It's not? Then, are they for Nep Jr. then? Are you asking her out on a date?!" Neptune turns to Nepgear, her face genuine with surprise. "Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?"

"N-no! I don't know him! This has got to be a mistake," Nepgear shouts. She's waving her hands so much that even her eyes are pure white circles.

"Oh, I'm just kidding. I'd never let a stranger get a hold of your bod." I hate these types of jokes. They're hard to tell whether or not they're serious.

"S-sis, that's not funny." I second that.

"Anyway~" Neptune turns back to the man holding flowers. "Who are they for, Mr. Cloak Man?"

"See this bouquet in my hand?" He stretched them forward for us to see. It gives a better view of the blue petals. And remember when I said they're illuminating? They really are. It's almost giving off the same glow as fireflies at night. It has this soft outward structure with a lone stigma in the middle of each.

"Sure do! What about it?"

"Wait . . . could they be . . .?" Nepgear trails off.

". . . Dream Flowers," I say. There's nothing else I could guess other than that. It's quite impossible for any greenery to grow here. Also, after getting a closer look at them, I know those flowers. They're the same ones Nana grew when she was a child, tending to them and overlooking their growth in secrecy. But why didn't I remember sooner? Dream Flowers are unique flowers to the Everglow family.

"She wasn't lying," the cloaked man continues, "but I've got all of it. Try as you might, looking for more of these around here, and your conclusions are only but failures and frustrations. You won't find a single shed of petals around here."

"What do you want? I doubt you'll hand it to us for free." I need those flowers. Nothing will stop me from getting those flowers to Sylvie.

"Of course he won't hand it to us. It's just one of those clichés where we either have to get them something or fight them," Neptune says.

"Hmph . . . That's where you're wrong, CPU of Planeptune." The cloaked man throws the bouquet to Nepgear's direction, flustering and stumbling her feet and hands as she catches it. She looks at Neptune, me, and back to the person who threw it. There are question marks literally popping out of her head. I also have them popping out of my head.

"What . . .?"

"Nice catch there, Nep Jr. Though, why'd he given it up so suddenly? I was expecting a boss fight or whatever. Oh well, thanks Mr. Nameless-Cloak-Man!" Again, she's treating this as though it's the most normal thing in the world.

It's easy. Way too easy.

"What are you scheming?" I ask. I don't trust him. It's way too sketchy for him to give it to us with no compensation.

"The answer is simple. I've no need for it."

That's got to be a lie.

"I don't believe it. What's your plan?"

"Of course, I don't expect you to believe me. Care to know? But you sure you want to delay handing those flowers? Who knows, maybe you won't make it?" I'm not sure because of the cloak covering his face, but with the way he said the words, I'm sure he's letting out a sickening grin.

But he's got right on one thing. I don't want to stay here for much longer.

"Farewell. May we cross paths again." From where he stands, he jumps backward and into the sea. Although not a single splash comes.

Who was that? The cloak he wore; it was the same one I saw when I was out with IF during our wolf hunt. If so, then he may have been the person leading them. I want to chase him down, but I've got other priorities first.

"Let's head back. I'm starving," Neptune says as she holds her stomach.

Way to kill the mood.

~0~0~0~

In front of the same shop I visit so often, before I get the chance to raise my arm and knock on the door—

 _Bam!_

That happened. Whatever that was, it definitely obscured the inside view of the shop with thick, black smoke. Before long, the doors burst open, releasing the ghastly smokes, all the while a silver-haired half-elf emerges and drops to the ground in all fours, with one hand on her mouth to block her coughs.

Other than her turquoise gown, a white apron covers its front and a pair of goggles resting on her head. I can guess what the goggles are for but, "What's with the apron?" It's similar to the one I use when cooking, only hers is pure white. Mine has flower designs. Don't ask.

"Really? Of all things, you ask about my apron?" Sylvie asks between coughs. I mean, it's out of place from what she's wearing. It's like going to a construction site with a maid outfit.

"Well, most things are normal for you minus the apron. What's it for?" There's only one thing I can guess why she has that. And I'm sure you can as well.

"What else? I'm cooking." See? It wasn't hard to figure out.

"While experimenting on some new potions?" I know it can't be helped sometimes, but she should pick one over the other, not both. The display earlier and right now should speak for itself.

"It's a waste of time if I cook and not continue my mixtures," she says as she accepts my hand on gets back on her feet.

"You'll be burning your food one of these days . . ." I'm also worried this will scare off any potential customers away. I mean, Sylvie makes some quality potions and all, but the way she blows her place up makes it look like everything she makes end up in failure. Which most of them do, though. But they're high quality. She is a member of the Silverstem after all.

"So? Why the visit? And with those two especially." She points at the two Planeptune sisters behind me. "I doubt you're here to shop. Come in, we can continue this inside—" Another explosion sets off from inside. ". . . After the smoke dies down."

After removing the last bits of smoke, plus lighting some unscented candles, everyone settles in Sylvie's shop. Neptune sits on a stool while devouring a cup of pudding her sister bought for her while waiting for the smoke to clear, Nepgear's checking out the displays, and I'm leaning on the countertop where the register is. With those two in here, it makes the room feel larger than last time I'm here. Guess I never really noticed until now.

"What's with those flowers?" Sylvie asks after reentering the room without her goggles and apron this time. Instead, she has a thermos and four cups on a tray on her hands, which she places down on the countertop.

After handing me a cup of barley tea, I tell her about the Dream Flowers, how I met Nana again, where she is, but leaving the cloaked man out of it. She doesn't intervene when I explained it to her. She only went with either an "I see . . ." or a plain nod. Although I appreciate her letting me explain, I wished she interrupted me to ask some stuff. In my mind, I wanted her to check for any uncertainties or strange things.

"Dream Flowers, huh. It'll take me a few days to complete it at least. It can take me five days at most if I use all of it," Sylvie explains. " _Also, what about Nana? Didn't you ask her to come with you?_ "

Elf language. She doesn't want the other two to overhear us or something? Well, either way, what she's asking is something only the two of us know. Since it's about Nana.

" _I did ask her about it. But she said she didn't want to, and asked me to come back after I finished this,_ " I reply, also in Elvish.

" _Is that so? Well, I guess I'll visit her one of these days. But first, let me finish the potion._ "

" _Thanks, Sylv._ "

" _It's no trouble._ "

As we chuckle, A foreign object crashes onto the countertop, splitting both Sylvie and me. It's a good thing the cups aren't glass and the thermos is capped or this would be a huge mess. This foreign object, however, is the same one as the Neptune nibbling on her spoon full of pudding. But this suddenness of her appearance shocks both of us in awe.

"N-N-Neptune? What in Lluna are you doing?" I ask. I had to force my body to fling backward to dodge her wrath, but in doing so my right hand smack the nearby shelf, only rubbing them ease the pain. My left hand was holding the cup, so it was safe.

"What were you two talking about?" she asks, swinging her head from the flat of the table towards me disturbingly quick. "I understood what you were talking about until you started talking gibberish. Tell me, what is it? I want to know!"

"For one thing, that's none of your concern." It causes her to grumble her voice. "Really, it's not. It's something only Sylvie and I know."

"Eeeh? That's not fair. I demand to know!" Neptune flails her arms around, throwing a tantrum like a kid.

I swear, does this girl know no sense of shame or dignity whatsoever? Nepgear had to calm her down before peeling her off the countertop. At this point, I've already considered this as normal, but Sylvie needed iteration of my explanation before she had any chance of spewing out some icicles in her mouth again.

* * *

"Come back in a few days," Sylvie says. "I'll have it ready by then."

"All right, I'm counting on you on this one."

Just as our conversation ends, Nepgear approaches the countertop where the two of us are. Tilting my head to the side, she was able to tame Neptune with another cup of pudding. With how much of a bliss she's in, it makes me wonder whether pudding is a safety pin for her outlashes.

"I'm sorry, you two. She's just like that," Nepgear says, bowing. "I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble. But if it's alright to ask, what were you two talking about?"

"Hrm . . ." I'm not exactly sure why Sylvie was making this as secret as possible, but it wouldn't hurt even if we tell them about it.

"Y-you don't have to answer if you really don't want to." At least she's humbler than that untamed pudding-addict.

"No, it's not that," I say. "I just find both of you strange for coming along with me here. It's not like you need to be here. Plus, Sylvie already said it'll take a few days for her to complete the potion. I see no reason for you to remain here."

"That may be true. But I kind of want to know you two more. You must be close to Uni if you're willing to help her."

Both Sylvie and I fall silent, then stare at each other.

"D-did I say something strange?" Nepgear asks.

"Not really. You just misunderstood. Sylvie and I—we're not really close to Uni."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, I barely got to know much about Uni. All I know about is her stubbornness and her admiration for her sister. But other than that, it's not much. Not as much as you and the others get anyway. I've only been there for a week or two, but it's not like I've gotten anywhere near to knowing her."

It's strange because the words I said are genuine. I don't know much about Uni, and she doesn't know much about me. Now that I think about it, that must seem strange for her.

"How about you, Sylvie?" Nepgear asks her.

"W-we're not close." She blushes and turns her face away. "But she was the first person who became acquainted with me after . . . some things happened. She's an interesting one, mixing ham and pork in the same sandwich." Sylvie snickers, which only tilts Nepgear's head more. From what she said, only I understand the pain and misery prior to what conspired.

". . . Thank you, you two," Nepgear beams at us.

Sylvie looks at me, unsure what was happening. I can't answer her, though, because I'm just as speechless as she is. Thank us? What for?

"Where did that come from?" I ask.

"Isn't it obvious? You're both doing what you can to help Uni. She may be hard to get along, but I'm happy to see she made some new _friends_ —"

 _Thud!_

My left hand unconsciously slams the side of the countertop. Some tea spills, but I switch the cup to my right hand before it loses grip.

"D-don't mind me. I didn't realize something was blocking my hand . . ." Damn it, it's happening again.

"Although, I still wonder what happened to her. I wasn't there when it happened, but she came along with you to that temple, didn't she? Is there something you haven't told us yet?"

"There isn't much more than what I've told you," I say as I clutch my aching hand on top of the countertop. "If anything, this is my way of—no, I'm just making sure I can fulfill a promise. I've told you this before, haven't I? Well, I won't say much, but it's something she asked me." It was after Noire and I met Ragnor and found Uni. And it was after she'd gotten used to the simple stuff.

"Promise? Is that why . . .?"

"Ah, yes, Sylvie. Is that why he'll only tell about the promise to Nep Jr. and you and not me?" Neptune's head pops out behind the countertop where Sylvie is. I'm not sure how she got there with no one noticing, but all right.

"It's not what you think, Neptune," I say. "I'm sure Uni would get embarrassed if I told anyone what that was. Plus, she might strangle me. I don't want to experience that again." My right eye drifts to the half-elf blushing, looking away, and blowing what I can only guess as a failed attempt to whistle.

"That was only that one time, can't you get over it already? It was a misunderstanding."

"I _am_ over it," I say after sipping and slamming the cup on the countertop. "It worried you, I know. Anyone else would also get the same idea if they found us there."

"Uhh . . . can we get filled in what you're talking about?" Neptune asks, emerging her full upper body to view.

"You see, Sylvie here clawed my neck one time when Nana and I were discussing something in a pond somewhere deep in the forest where we lived."

"Somewhere in Lunelit Forest?" Nepgear asks, in which I answer with a head shake.

"Lunelit Forest? Why would they be there?" Sylvie asks.

"It was my new home after moving out of the village," I answer.

"You . . . moved out?" Ah, right, of course, she won't know about it. No one really knew about my moving out, only my mother did when she abandoned me.

"Yes, I did. Anyway, I found Nana sitting next to the pond, alone. When I came up to her, I heard her sobbing. Asking her what's wrong was unnecessary; when I saw the withered flower on her hands, there wasn't a need to. She just ran up to me and explained the situation."

"And that's when I saw them hugging," Sylvie adds. "Although, I couldn't really see Nana because Maki's back was blocking my view. When I saw her pink hair, I swooped in and scratched every fiber of his neck."

"Do I really look that indecent to you?" I know she did that to protect Nana, but still, those scratches took nights to heal.

"W-well, I think I'd get the same idea if I saw you two alone like that. I might also mistake you as a couple having a date," Nepgear says.

Wow, even Sylvie never reached that conclusion. Probably. I'm not sure what's her thinking process.

"Yeah, totally. A defenseless girl, crying in the arms of a man. Isn't that the most romantic thing in the world?" Neptune says. "Oh, but hey, didn't she do the same thing before, like, back at that weird temple?"

"She did, didn't she?" Nepgear affirms.

"D-don't misunderstand! That's just how she is," I say as I wipe the sweat off my forehead. "Although, seeing her act like that reminded me of . . ." I'm about to say 'what Uni showed me' but hold off on it. I can't get the words out, not like this.

"Remind you of who?"

"It's nothing. So, is there anything else you want to talk about? How about you, Neptune, Nepgear?"

"Nothing really . . . Oh!"

Well, she's perked up. It must be quite important seeing how her face is written with stern all over it. She opens her mouth but—

"Oh, yeah. Histy asked us to tell you to come to Planeptune to meet her. Something about that the other Histy from your world. Anyway, she said to go there when you can," Neptune says, earning a Nepgear with slumped shoulders. Oh well, at least you tried, Nepgear.

"That so? Then why don't I come with you? I'll tell Noire about it."

Hopefully, she'll understand since it's Histoire. How long has it been since I've last talked to her, though? I haven't visited Planeptune for a while since I wanted to check out Lastation to its full extent. But why does Histoire request my presence?

~0~0~0~

With Neptune and Nepgear's help, we were able to reach Planeptune quicker than on foot. Although, it took a toll on their bodies. We had to take a break in a large field with running water with a bridge that connects the land here to the rest of the city after arriving before moving. Both of them are sitting on the nearby bench.

Back in Planeptune, huh? I haven't really thought of it much, but a lot of stuff happened here the first time I came here. Not much changed here. Guess I haven't been away for too long.

I know Histoire wants me to see her, but I want to go back to Lastation as soon as I'm able. There is still some unfinished business that needs tending to.

"Man, that was tiring work. I could use some more pudding or two," Neptune says as she sinks into the wooden bench.

"S-sorry, Maki. We're not that used to traveling in the air that fast," Nepgear says as she huffs for some air.

"I'm sure it wouldn't make that much difference even if we moved slower. What's the rush?" I ask. We could've taken our time flying, but these two scratched that idea and kick the air and this is the result.

"Yeah, but Histy was bugging us to bring you back as fast as possible," Neptune answers.

"What could possibly be so urgent?"

"I dunno, but if Histy says it, it usually means it's important." Usually? What does she—oh wait, I'm sure she's referring to her lectures. That's still her fault for being lazy about things.

Since they're taking a break, I'll hang around the bridge in the meantime. The bridge itself is quite small than what I've seen. Although, the ones I crossed have large holes and death underneath each, and only a handful of people were willing to use it. People were more dependent on winged beasts to get them across.

From the other side of the bridge, two children, a boy and a girl, sit underneath the shade of a tree with something on their hands. Gusts of wind blow as I place my hands on the front pockets of my coat, as though I'm one of those people who goes around at laboratories.

"Look, look, I finally caught the legendary Nepémon!"

"Oh, cool! Let me see."

. . . I probably should figure out the laptop I got from . Nepgear usually has these incomprehensible devices with her, either tinkering or fiddling away. I'm not on par with the current technologies here than the one I have. And I only have my phone with me. However, Uni did mention that mine is similar to an ancient artifact.

Though, I am banned from the internet for a while. Uni hasn't given me the time on how long the ban will be, so I might just struggle without her help.

As the wind grows stronger, my eye falls to a tree somewhere in the distance behind the two kids. At first, my mind tells me it's just my imagination, but then I catch the brown hood and my feet moved on its own.

I look back at where Neptune and Nepgear are and they're heads are together, unmoving. Are they asleep? Well, I'll let them, since I have something I wanted to check out first.

"Why are you here," I ask. I'm surprised he's not running away like last time.

"I was waiting for you," he replies, still hiding his face.

That sends a chill down my spine. Waiting for me? What does he mean?

"What are you playing at?" I have my right hand on the pocket where the magnum is. I may not be a good shooter, nor have I gotten any practice, but I'm sure I can hit him even in this close of a distance.

Instead of answering, he throws a green handkerchief towards me. It's quite long, but it's balled it up to make it easier to throw. When it lands into my hand, it unfolds itself.

"What's this supposed to be?" It's oddly familiar, but what's the point in giving me this?

"It's not mine. Not even yours. Tell me, do you know its owner?"

I don't know who it is. I'm not fond of riddles or cryptic messages, as it pops a vein on my head every time I have to encounter these. But this again? Return it to its owner? Ragnor did that to Blanc before, with my pendant, but his voice doesn't match with him. The way he acts isn't like him as well. Just who is this guy?

"In time, you'll understand. Now, I shall take my leave. May our paths cross again . . ."

Before I can stop him, a heavy gust of wind forced my eye closed, and when I open them again, he's gone. I still have this handkerchief he gave me. The green on it is quite heavy, and who needs a handkerchief this long?

"What are you doing over here?" I turn around and find the two Planeptune sisters close in. Nepgear yawns as she walks and Neptune is in her cheery mood again. So, they did nap after all.

"What's that, _haah_ , on your hand?" Nepgear yawns.

"Just a handkerchief I found. Someone must've dropped this or something. I feel bad leaving this good piece of cloth here, so I'll take it with me in the meantime." I try to place the handkerchief in one pocket of my coat, only for Neptune to yank it out of my hand and inspects it. I don't mind her taking a look at it, but I do mind her aggression when she grabbed it.

"Isn't this Iffy's? It has her name on it. Look." Neptune straightens out one end of the handkerchief that had the words 'IF' on it. How did I not see that?

"Well, at least we know who it belongs to. But why would she leave something like that here?" A lie, but I don't intend to tell them about how I got it from the cloaked man. There's something I want to know from him, and I can't have these two wondering about it and follow me everywhere.

"Maybe she ate lunch here or something and left it there on accident?" Nepgear reasons. Plausible, but I'm not sure. I don't know her much than these two. But it's not the case, though. It's not likely for IF to be here and leave something behind.

"C'mon. Histy'll go Pisty if we don't hurry." Neptune waves as she runs ahead.

"We better follow." I nod to Nepgear's suggestion.


	37. Cartridge and Vial Using What?

**Chapter 37**

 _Cartridge and Vial Using . . . What?_

"We're home, Histy~" Neptune chimes as she slams the door open that leads to the inner parts of the living room part of their home.

The place didn't change much from the last time I was here. And that was quite a long time ago now that I think about it. If Neptune never saw 'it' that night, would I have stayed here with them instead? I highly doubt that, but I still feel bad Nepgear has to clean up her sister's mess all the time. Nothing I can do, I guess. They must've been like this even when I wasn't around.

Couch, television, consoles and controllers on the floor, bean bag chairs. The only difference is the amount of pudding cups lying on the floor. It's like there's more than last time.

"Nep Jr.! More pudding please~"

. . . I take it back. They're just recent cups. Now my question is, how did she eat all of those in a short amount of time? We've only just arrived here.

But in any case, Histoire comes out of a doorway along with Compa and IF, who was free from bandages. That's a good sign. But what are they both doing here? But Neptune said Histoire had something important for me, though, what could that be?

"Glad you could arrive in time. I've already begun the process, so now all I need is your memories of the location to get the exact coordinates correctly . . ." Histoire says.

I'm not processing whatever she's trying to say. Why does she need my memories?

"Hold on, hold on. What are you talking about? And why do you need my memories?" I move my gaze to Compa, but she stared back with her usual smile. Has she forgotten about that even that transpired before? Well, not like it matters. I panicked that night, but anyway.

"Ah, my apologies. All I'm trying to say is, we need the exact coordinates for your dimension."

Okay . . . that seems simple enough. Although, why do they need to coordinates, though? I've already told them I'm not coming back there. What are they aiming for in this? I ask them about it, but they just dodge the question.

"It's not that difficult to pull off. All we need is a location of your memories, anywhere there should be fine. Will you help us?"

Well, they've already helped me when I first arrived here. So, I guess I can at least return the favor. All right, I won't ask them any more about their reason, but is it so important that both Compa and IF should be here? As though reading my mind, Compa answers the question for me.

"We usually visit Nep-Nep and Ge-Ge here. It's not that unusual."

And I can see that. But it must be nice for Neptune and Nepgear, though, because they have people to come back to whenever they leave for somewhere.

All right, now for the matter at hand.

For one thing, I'm not entirely convinced that they're doing this for no reason. But I don't have much of a choice to complain to them. Because, like I mentioned earlier, they helped me with a lot of stuff when I arrived here, so I'll return the favor.

"Thank you," Histoire says. "Now, IF, if you please."

Nodding to her, IF reaches something in her pocket and pulls out a rectangular and flat, but not thin, something with a rectangular hole at the bottom part. Whatever it is, I have no clue about it.

"This here is a memory extractor," IF explains.

Wait, that small piece of object is the memory extractor? I thought it'd be something more . . . elaborate, like how Gamindustri is.

Well, I don't know what it is, so I'll just give them the benefit of the doubt.

"Now, see this hole over here on the cartridge?" She flips the rectangular object in a way that better emphasizes on the bottom portion of it. "It's simple. All you need to do is stick this part on your mouth and it'll capture your memories. Easy as that." She smirks, but I just stare at her.

I didn't hear that wrong, did I?

She said to stick it into my mouth. Surely, she jests. I mean, I'm pretty sure that kind of thing is not something you should put your mouth in.

After taking the cartridge from her hand, I inspect it and say, "Sure you're not telling me to do this to make fun of me and make me do something stupid? And also, why am I placing it in my mouth? And how do I even do that?"

"It's not that hard. Just do it already," IF beckons.

But I still don't get how it works. I just keep twisting and turning it, but how am I supposed to stick it on my mouth?

"Oh, c'mon. It's not that hard to do." IF snatches the cartridge away from my hands and floats it near Compa's mouth. "Place this on your mouth, would you?" With a nod, Compa takes it with her lips, trapping it in between. It's like she's biting on some toast and didn't bother to break the bitten part.

"Shee? Ish nah sho vaad," Compa says, shaking the object with each word.

"Alright, that's enough." IF pulls out the object from Compa's grasp, a thin, shiny line dissolving when she did. Although, it doesn't seem like they noticed it. "Huh? Compa, you didn't need to bite on it. Just pursing it with your lips would've been good enough."

"Really? I thought I had to bite on it? Should I not have?" She tilts her head.

IF both sighs and shakes her head at the same time. "Good enough, I guess." She turns to me and hands the memory extractor back to me. "Now you've seen it. Do it already."

Don't need to tell me twice.

I lift the cartridge and open my mouth as though I was about to eat a hamburger, but my eye catches something deflecting on the part on top of the hole where I'm about to bite on. It's like something spilled a bit of water on it.

Wait . . .

"Uhh, w-wait. I think there's something—"

"Just hurry up already. We haven't got all day," IF cuts me off.

What's with her, rushing like that? It's clearly not water on top of this thing. I'll at least want to wipe it clean first before taking a bite on it myself.

But when I open my mouth to say something, IF shoves my hands and forces me to bite on the cartridge. All at once, the hard, stone-like cartridge gets clamped with my teeth. But that's not the only thing that entered in my mouth.

Remember when I said there was a dissolving thin line?

I kind of guessed what it was, but now I have to dread some of the sliminess in my mouth. Apparently, Compa gave the cartridge quite the saliva.

This shouldn't really be much of a bother, considering it's just someone else's saliva, but for some reason, there's this lingering taste of fish. It's hard to describe what it is, but it's like it's fish mixed with something and fried.

"It should be done by now," Histoire says after about five minutes passed. During that time, as much as I didn't want to happen, the saliva on it dried up mostly because it went inside my mouth.

IF pulls the cartridge out of my teeth's grasp and hands it to Histoire.

"I will begin calculating the coordinates," Histoire continues. "It will be finished at around three weeks. In the meantime, you can do as you please—"

"Yay!" Neptune flings her arms upwards, flinging the pudding on her cup to the air in which she slides towards the trajectory of the fall and it lands safely on her mouth. That's some reflexes right there.

"—Besides Neptune. It will take time, and I'll call you again when the time comes."

"Eeehh?" Neptune deflates onto the bean bag. "But I've already worked. Can't a goddess have her break every now and then?"

"You do that literally every single time! Your duties as the CPU of Planeptune must always be handled with diligence with every work she does. And—"

The start of her lectures again, I presume? Well, it's not much of a surprise anymore, after seeing this so many times before. I never really expected this scene to burn out even after I was not here for a while. It's refreshing, but at the same time, my ears are drowning out the noise again.

As I drop to the couch, IF sits in-between both me and Compa and slaps a white envelope with a green seal on it. What's this supposed to be?

"It's a ball Lady Vert is making before the end of November," IF explains. "She told me to hand one to you if you're interested in joining, that is."

"Everyone will be there, including me and Iffy," Compa adds.

"E-er, yeah. That's about the plan."

A ball, huh? Last time I've been to one was at the Soleil Kingdom. But what's the ball for? It's not like she's preparing one on a whim, right? There's usually a purpose for these types of events.

"Actually, that is the reason," IF answers.

Nevermind then. I guess she can prepare a ball or a party whenever she feels like it. But then again, Leanbox is full of wallet eaters.

"Are you coming? It might be a good chance for you to know us better," Nepgear joins in the conversation with tea cups and a thermos.

That's a tempting offer. Of course, I can learn more about them when I visit their respective nations instead, but that can also work. All right, it sounds something I can let loose at least.

"I'm sure Noire could use that as a breather . . . She's been sitting on that chair of hers for weeks straight." But will Uni be able to attend the event? She did say it was going to be by the end of the month. Hopefully she can attend. Sylvie's already on the job, so she should be able.

"Sounds good. I'll go."

~0~0~0~

The following day, I head back to Lastation. I'm not sure whether Noire already knows about the ball, but it won't hurt if I ask anyway. And like before I left, she's back to her seat with less papers on her desk this time. She should be able to get off her chair and do something else for a while. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway.

Not wanting to disturb her, I pass through her to the kitchen. She doesn't seem to notice me, but that's fine. I don't plan on using the groceries I bought before coming here anonymously.

"There's going to be a ball this end of the month," Noire announces after asking her what food she wanted.

"Oh yeah, I heard it from IF," I say while chopping one of the three carrots. "You coming?"

"No. I've got better things to do than going to some party." Her tone's quite heavy when she said that. Is something bothering her? "Nothing's bothering me. I still have work to do."

"Suit yourself. The others will be coming and I was planning on inviting Uni as well. If you don't want to come, that's fine. But you sure you won't get lonely here? I won't be around. It doesn't look like you have anyone to hang out with while you're here."

"Wh-whatever! Just call me once you're done. I still have work to do." And off she goes.

It's only after her heavy footsteps and silhouette disappearing that I return to the matter at hand. I've finished cutting the carrots and place them on a bowl until it's time to cook them with garlic and margarine, so next will be peeling the potatoes before mashing them.

However, as I reach for the peeler, A piece of parchment lies next to it.

That's strange. It wasn't there before, not even after I peeled the carrots. Where did this come from?

 _Under the lights of thousands of fireflies,_

 _A roaring thunder of a dog cries._

 _If you wish to know the beginning, then behold_

 _For what you seek is beyond what you hold._

Now an actual poem? Did Noire write this? It's quite lyrical than the ones I've seen before.

"Hey Noire," I ask while scooping a spoonful of mash potato. "Did you leave this in the kitchen by accident?"

She inspects the parchment I handed her and shakes her head. "I didn't. I don't write these things."

"Then who did?"

"Who knows?"

After handing it back, I reinspect it. For one thing, it has the same handwriting as the ones Chian gives us sometimes. Could it be from the same person? It's not far-off, but what made this person decide to give it this way instead of handing it to Chian again?

Whatever it is, I don't really understand what it's trying to say. For now, I'll head to the Guild tomorrow until Sylvie's done with her potions.

~0~0~0~

"It's done," Sylvie says as she hands a small vial with ocean-colored liquid inside it. After waiting for five days, she manages to complete it—the Dream Potion.

"Thanks, Sylv. With this, I'll—"

"Oh, Rivi," Sylvie interrupts me. "Nana asked me to tell you to come to the temple she's in. Said it's urgent."

Huh? Nana told her?

"How do you know that? Has she visited you?"

She nods. "Just after you left yesterday, actually. I don't know much about the details, but she said to get there quickly. I'll bring this to Uni, so why don't you head there right now?"

"No. I'll be the one bringing that potion to her. It won't take long."

I keep a sharp stare to her, indicating that I'm not joking. I've said this before, but I'll be the one to close in the gap that I caused to stretch. And I'm not backing on my word.

She sighs and extends the potion to my hand. "Just make sure you wake her up, m'kay?"

After exiting the shop, I sprint my way towards the hospital Uni is in. I pass through shops, high-fived Chian while she swept the front of Passe, and through a crowd of people through a busy street. This doesn't stop my adrenalized legs from dodging the obstacles and preventing my speed to decrease.

As the hospital comes to view, my heart beats faster than before. Part of it because of all the running, but the other is from the vial on my hand. I'm almost there. Now to just get to the room.

Once I reach the room with 029, I stop in front of the door and take deep breaths. The last thing I want to happen is entering the room like I crawled out of the mouth of Gamindustri.

I gently open the door . . .

"Sorry for intruding . . ." I whisper that reaches no one, since there's only one person in the room.

It's quite perfect, really. I don't want anyone else to witness this. I'm sure I'm being too selfish, but it's something I want to do without anyone around.

Reaching the bed, I pull the cork from the vial with my teeth. It's when I'm about to pour the contents into her mouth that forces my hands to jerk back.

I've got her the vial, but how am I supposed to make her _drink_ it?

As far as I know, it's not a good idea to insert water in people's mouths when they're not conscious. Damn, what do I do now? There has to be something I can use. This is a hospital, right? But how does it really work?

I scan the room, but there's nothing out of place of what a bedroom usually looks like besides that pack full of water with a tube attached to Uni's arm on top of a metal coat hanger.

Maybe I can pour it inside that pack?

No, that might cause problems than solving it. Let's see . . . Is there anything else in here?

I try opening the drawers, cabinets, even the restroom, but still nothing I can use.

There is one thing I can do. Well, Alice was the one who told me about it, but I've never tried it before, so I'm not sure whether or not it will work. But I guess I'll just have to find out, huh? It's not something I actually want to do on my own volition, but what else can I do?

Standing right next to the left side of the bed, I sip the whole content of the vial in one mouthful. The inside of my mouth has this light syrup feel to it. Not sticky, but not like water either. But the taste, though, is close to raspberry combined with the most bitter thing you could ever put on your mouth with. Not even lemon can match with this.

I force myself to ignore the fireworks in my mouth and bend forward, right on top of Uni's face. With my left hand, I look directly at her lips.

I'd gulp, but I'll swallow the potion if I do. And without another second thinking, our lips connect.

The sensation is weird, but also quite satisfying. It's soft and warm. Although, with my mind set on what I'm doing, I shake the thought off. I manage to shake her lips apart and slowly let the liquid enter her mouth. The liquid isn't much, so it doesn't take too much time transferring.

After giving the last drop, I pull back, dropping to the floor, panting with heavy breaths. Even my heart beats faster than earlier.

I take a deep breath and lean on the side of the bed. It's a good thing she's able to swallow it despite being unconscious. I don't expect her to wake up immediately. I can't show her the state I'm in or it'd be awkward. Then my next question is, if she asks, what will I tell her?

But I can't stay here for too long. Sylvie told me to get to the temple as soon as possible. I'm curious why she's asking for me.

Before heading for the door, I check the Divinity Pendant I left behind the empty picture frame on the small wooden table next to the bed. It's still there; no one touched it even after all this time. It's actually good it's that way. No one else should be entrusted with it.

I reach the door and look back at Uni. After a few seconds, I catch myself dozing off.

My mind's not acting straight. Why is that? But I can't stand around thinking about it—I need to head out. With a shake of my head, I close the door behind me and run. And after I exit the hospital, I scream.


	38. Histoire's Plea

**Chapter 38**

 _Histoire's Plea_

I'm nowhere in Rom or Ram's room. Instead, I'm back in the white space where I met the actual Rom for the first time. Strange as it was, but I'm still glad I got to meet her. And since I'm here again, I might do just that like last time.

Except somehow, the white nothing I'm standing on becomes an actual tiled floor. Orange tiles with red tiles circling in the center of the room. It's not an illusion, though, because when I stomp on the red tiles, they make this clean thudding sound.

Then walls form. The paint being pink that's close to white, making it hard to tell whether it has colors in the first place.

". . . I've been . . . watching."

Right in the middle of the room, Rom appears as cabinets and drawers attach themselves to different parts of the walls. And it confirms where I am.

"Nice to meet you again, Rom," I say. I'm genuinely happy to see her.

A loud cracking noise erupts from behind me. When I turn to check out what made the sound, a large bed with cushions on the headboard and footboard slats. The mattress has a mauve bed sheet covering it and a mix of the same color and white stripes on the two pillowcases.

"This is . . ."

". . . Your room?"

I nod as she takes a seat on the bed. Considering how small her stature is, the bed makes it look like she's some kind of ant. And I do the same and sit on the opposite side of her.

"It's been a while since I've last been here." It's accurate to the very detail I can remember.

". . . Miss Uni is . . . finally awake?"

The news was a big surprise, that's for sure. Just moments ago, Blanc was talking with Neptune and Vert when all of a sudden Noire joined in the video chat and announced that Uni finally woke up. Ram was enthusiastic about the news that she forced us to visit her no sooner than later. Blanc didn't complain.

"I'm sorry, Rom. I know how much you want to be there with them all." She still can't control her own body from me. But there are just no hints telling us what we can do.

". . . That's okay . . . I can still see and feel . . . Even when I'm not doing it."

"Really? That at least assures you're not disconnected from your body. But don't worry. I'll keep finding a way to return your body."

". . .It's okay . . . I can wait."

Just as the words come out of her mouth, the next time I blink, I'm at room 029 comprising all four CPUs and Ram. The interior space around is compact in here, but none of them seem to mind. They're more focused on their conversation with the newly awoken Uni.

When did I get here? I was in the twin's room earlier.

But since I'm here, that means I lost contact with Rom. That's a shame. I still have things I want to talk to her about some more.

" _. . . I'm . . . still here."_

Huh? That's Rom's voice! But where is she? No, nevermind. It's stupid to ask that; I'm still in her body.

" _. . . A TV is on the table. I can see Ram."_

But that means now she can talk to me without having to come back to that place again, right? It's actually great. Now I might have an easier time dealing with some complicated situations without having to search through her memories too much. But for now, I'll try asking Uni about the situation. There's still that fact about what happened to her before falling unconscious. I've heard it from Sylvie, but not from Uni's perspective.

After popping my head between Neptune and Noire, I ask Uni how she's feeling.

"Ugh . . . I don't know. There's this weird raspberry with the most horrible bitterness on it. Can't I have anything to get rid of the taste?" Without a delay, Neptune answers her with an opened cup of pudding. "Well, it'll do." She takes it and scoops a spoonful to her mouth.

Right now, not much is happening. It's pretty much like a reunion of some sort, but they're all happy about the results, and I can't say I'm not the same.

Oh yeah, there's still something I haven't asked Rom yet.

" _. . . I dunno. It just . . . happens."_

Nothing worthy to note, but that is expected from a child, I guess. I only hope I don't have to worry about relying on it. I could just cast some weaker spells. But, ugh, I should have learned some ice magic when I still had the chance. It's a common elemental spell for Ram.

" _. . . Why don't you try casting Ice Coffin?"_

"Ice Coffin? What's that?"

"What's what?"

I jump from the sound of Ram's voice behind me. The room is air-conditioned, but her forehead is dripping with small beads of sweat. Although it might be because we're wearing thick clothing in the first place, my hands are getting frostbites. I shake my head and tell her it's nothing.

There's an Oracle that's also our caretaker named Mina, who teaches us magic and how it works. The spells she teaches piques my interests, but Ram only stands on her complaints to play instead of studying. Of course, it's a good idea for me to get to know the spells through her, but our time got cut short from Ram grabbing the sleeve of my coat and dragging me out through the hallway. And out goes my chance to learn their magic.

Rom explains how the spell, Ice Coffin, works, how it's cast, the fact that Ram taught her, and the theory behind it. Despite the looks on her age, she's capable of explaining the spell and its theory. That itself is truly commendable. However, since the spell has cold temperature, I'll have to wait until I'm outside until I have a chance to try to use it. And I don't want to spend some time ridding my nose of icicles.

It doesn't take long before everyone asks where Neptune and Nepgear found the ingredients of the potion they had Sylvie made for Uni. The timing and notion were fortunate, yet something feels odd about it. But I do have to admit, I have never heard of that kind of flower before. There wasn't anything like that near the castle or anywhere else for that matter.

"We found it at Rebeat Resort," Nepgear explains.

"Flowers there? Are you sure you're not mistaken? How could a flower possibly grow in that kind of environment?" Vert asks.

I've never gone to Rebeat Resort before. What kind of place will it be if I do decide to go there? There's resort on it, so could it be some kind of spa? Ooh, that sounds delightful. No offense, but Rom could use a little "R&R" or whatever that thing I saw from television. Wait, but if Vert says that it's not possible to grow flowers there, then does it have poor soil quality or something else? I can't just let this mystery slip by, so I'll have to ask someone.

"It's not too far from here, and I hate to break it to you, but it's not really a place for relaxation. It's swarmed with monsters," Uni is the one to, surprisingly, answer my question. "By the way, where's Maki? I haven't seen him."

Even I'm wondering about that. Neptune and Nepgear said he was with them at Sylvie's shop not too long ago, but disappeared once the potion was finished.

"Huh? Didn't you see him? He was the one who made you drink the potion," Nepgear says.

"No, he didn't. I wouldn't have asked if I did. Seriously, why did he leave without telling me?" She crosses her arms, the area around her forehead forming wrinkles as she furrows her eyebrows.

That's strange. He won't just run off like that without telling anyone, will he? There might be some explanation, but we'll only know once we ask him, and we can't do that since he's not here.

"How's Sylvie doing, anyway?" Uni asks.

Out of nowhere, the entire room shakes, disorienting the things inside it. Nepgear saves a flower vase from crashing to the floor, Vert prevents the picture frames from meeting the same fate, and everything else is getting dragged around as though someone's checking to see what's inside the box.

Once the shaking subsides, black smoke emits from outside the window. Did something catch on fire? Right here at the hospital?

"Holy pineapples, what was that?" Neptune comments as she remains hugging onto her pudding cup.

"It must've come from outside." Nepgear approaches the window to attempt on opening it, but Noire stops her.

"Don't. Whatever happened, we can't let that smoke get in here. Let's wait until—"

 _Knock-knock-knock!_

Everyone's attention goes to the only door leading outside the room. If it's the nurse or doctor, they'd usually say something. But the knock only continues. Everyone exchanges stare from each other, perhaps unable to decide what to do. After a few more knocks, I walk towards the door to open it. When I do, however, I'm met with a woman with long hair completely covered in ashes. Whoever she is, her color is too bland for my taste. Nothing but the color of ashes.

"Dost—cough—dost thou calleth mine name?" I don't get the language, but the voice sounds familiar. It's a similar tone to Histoire, and her single buttoned gown and the shades covering her eyes are also covered in ashes. When she reveals her emerald eyes, however, my mouth speaks automatically.

"S-Sylvie? Why . . . are you covered in ashes?" I ask. I'm sure I'm not the only one with the same question.

"Well, I thought I'd celebrate with a bang, but . . ." Her eyes roll elsewhere away from eye contact with me. Whatever explosion happened, it probably ties with Sylvie wearing ashes all over her. I've heard from my father that the Silverstem are famous for their potions, but does making a mistake cause that much disturbance?

"Please, humble yourself and take a step inside," Vert tells her. She does so and grabs a towel, not the handheld ones, and wipes the ashes off her body. "We have things to ask of you. Surely, you don't mind."

"Enthrall me."

"I'll go first. What was that explosion?" Blanc asks without taking her eyes off the book she's reading.

"Uhh, a failed experiment . . .?" She reduces the volume of the last word she said. That might have been an embarrassment to her family's name, but she's not really denying it, though.

Neptune raises her hands, leaving the spoon hanging on her mouth. "Oh, oh, me next! Ahem." She clears her throat with a big grin on her face. "Have you seen our red hare friend? As far as we know, he was here earlier." Everyone in the room falls silent; Neptune has every gaze directed towards her. If she's a hostess of some event, the attention she's getting is normal, but we're not on any event right now. Did she say something odd? "What? Why's everyone all checking out my bod?"

"Well . . . we weren't expecting you to ask a reasonable question," Vert says.

"Yeah. You usually say something stupid. So, this came out as a shocker," Noire adds.

At this point, Neptune is making a face to show her annoyance. And honestly, that look on her face looks funny. Whatever's going through her mind right now—it's clear it's not a pleasant one. She swings her arms around while voicing out her complaints.

"Oh, c'mon, you guys. I can get serious whenever I feel like it!"

"That's not really something you should boast about, you know?" Noire says. "Well, whatever. It's not like you'll ever do that, anyway." She diverts her attention from Neptune, who is giving more witty remarks to her, and turn to Sylvie. "But yeah, we want to know if you have any ideas where he went."

"Hmm . . . no, not really," Sylvie replies. "I haven't seen him after he dropped by earlier. If you want to find him, you can try looking anywhere that has tea around. It's simple, really, but if you still can't find him, try looking around the forest. It's pretty much his domain."

"That'll take forever!" Noire's eyes widen, almost at a point it'll become full circles.

"Yes, that's why I'm suggesting not to bother."

"Not to bother, you say? Why not?" Vert asks, placing her arms underneath her chests. My eyes are probably deceiving eme, but it's like she's trying to give them the highlight all the while Blanc removes herself from her book and scowls.

"Nothing really. I'm just telling you you'll waste your time unless you have a good ground where he'd be."

No matter how much you twist her words around, she's not wrong. We don't know where he is, but I'm sure it's not really something we should worry about. And besides, he'll just come back whenever it's due.

"Hey, everyone! Look, I found something," Ram's voice echoes throughout the whole room.

"Ram, don't shout," Blanc scolds. "You'll disturb the other patients in the other rooms. After a grumble from Ram and once Blanc gets a hold of something from her, it becomes her turn to fill the room with her own voice, making everyone jump from where they are. "What's this doing here?"

"What is it?" Vert asks.

"It's that bastard's damn pendant," Blanc says. "What's it doing here?"

Everyone's eyes, including mine and Sylvie's, fixes on the gleaming gemstone hanging from Blanc's hand. But both Noire and Uni didn't look any different. Without a doubt, it's the same pendant I have around my neck. But what is it doing here?

"That's because it's mine," Uni says.

"Hah?!" Everyone chorus.

"Wh-what? Why are you all staring me like that? I didn't say anything weird, did I?" Her cheeks turn pink from all the stares she's getting.

"No, it's not like that. But, Uni, why do you have it?" Nepgear asks.

"What are you talking about? That guy just gave it to her. Haven't any of you heard?" Not a single one says yes to her question, which takes her back. "Seriously? I thought you'd all heard by now."

"Well we clearly didn't," Blanc bellows. "But what do we do with this—"

" **Everyone, can you all hear me?** " It's Histoire's voice, but I don't see her anywhere. " **I am speaking to you all through the gemstone—the original gemstone. The one Blanc currently holds.** " It's true the pendant is giving off more light than earlier. But how is she able to talk to us using it?

"Histy~ How are you doing that?" Neptune asks as she leans near the gemstone.

" **I received assistance from the other me to connect to this channel. It took me three days, however, but I'm glad I was able to make this work.** " The whole room falls silent. There's a heavy tension lingering in the air. " **Please hear me out, everyone. Planeptune is under attack.** "

As soon as the words sink into everyone, they each share shock of the news.

"Isn't this a little bit too sudden, Histy? It doesn't look like there's anything crazy going on outside," Neptune says as she takes a peek through the window. From where I stand, I can see that there's nothing out of the ordinary, no monsters, and no indications of people screaming.

" **That is because you're in Lastation, Neptune.** "

"Oh, right, whoopsies."

"How's the situation so far?" Uni asks, switching from her lying down position to sitting on the edge of the bed.

" **Uni? Is that you? I'm glad you're feeling all better. However, to answer your question, I can't provide you with anything good. All guards, soldiers, mercenaries, and even adventurers are currently in combat with the monsters infesting Planeptune as well as the neighboring cities of Erethisan and Haneda.** "The gemstone's glow grows dim at this point and Histoire's voice is becoming static and broken. " **It looks . . . I don't have . . . time . . . Please . . . save Planeptune . . . monsters.** " With her final remark, the light disappears. Everyone appears deep in their thoughts, but Neptune rushes to the door.

"C'mon, everyone! If Histy's in trouble, then it's our job to save her."

"I agree with Neptune," Vert stands. "If Planeptune falls, our own nations will soon follow. Before that happens, we need to get rid of them."

"Shut up! I was planning to do it anyway," Blanc closes her book and also stands. "I've been preparing for the Young Writers Awards, and it's in Planeptune. I'll shred those monsters to pieces for postponing the event . . ."

"I'll come too!" Ram jumps in the air, pumping a fist. "Right, Rom?"

I jump from being called. " _Agree with her, Celes._ " I don't have a clue what she's talking about, but it might be something between the two I have no idea about.

"M-mhm, Ram." It's the only best reply I can think of. There are others, but I'm not risking it.

"Let me come, too," Uni says, hopping off from her bed.

"Uni . . ." Nepgear says.

"I can't just lie here while something's going on. And besides, it's a CPU's duty to protect their nations, isn't it? Don't try to stop me, I'll come no matter what you all say." She locks her gaze to Nepgear's eyes. I have the urge to tell her not to push herself, but Rom tells me once she gets like this, there's no stopping her. She then turns to Noire. "I can come, right?"

"Of course, you can," she replies. "Just make sure you don't become a burden to everyone, especially me."

"I won't. Thanks, Noire."

"Looks like everything's settled then." Sylvie tosses each of us a small vial of potion containing bloodshot crimson liquid inside. They inspect the vials on their hands and look at Sylvie with looks of disdain. "Think of it as insurance from me. I'm sure Uni here would know about the legitimacy of my work." She throws a wink in my direction and leaves.

"We should all transform," Neptune says, already on her HDD form. "We must hurry. There's no telling how much longer Histy can keep the city intact."

After giving her nods, they each transform to their HDDs, discussing amongst themselves as they prepare for battle. However—

"Rom? What's the matter? We're about to head out," Blanc's voice disrupts my thoughts. And at the same time, my mind frantic from it. It didn't occur to me at all, but now I realize I'm the only left who hasn't transformed yet.

But no matter how much I ask Rom and figuring out how to transform, it's not happening.

"Rom, are you still unable to transform?" Now Vert is asking.

"N-no . . . I still can't."

"That'll pose a problem. Why don't I carry you on our flight?"

"No way, Thunder-tits. I'll be the one carrying her," Blanc says. I'm glad I'm going with her, but I have mix feelings with how she said it. It might be because her voice changes on HDD, but it should be fine.

When we reach outside the hospital, I grab onto each of Blanc and Ram's hands and they carry me as we take flight. As the distance between my feet and the ground becomes larger, the more my head spins. On second thought, I might as well just be left behind, but with the wind making my ears deaf, there's already no chance of going back. I'll have to suck it up and make sure my hands don't slip.


	39. What Lies in the Temple

**Chapter 39**

 _What Lies in the Temple_

I see it in the distance—the temple where Nana resides ever since her first arrival in Gamindustri. It's a bit strange she didn't replace the barrier I brought down, but maybe it's because she's expecting my visit. After all, Sylvie said she's waiting for me.

I stop my sprint and take deep breaths to calm the adrenaline engulfing my whole body. And when I let my mind wander for a split second, it causes me to shake my head, making efforts to calm myself useless.

Sighing, I enter the temple.

When I reach the area where the voices attacked Uni, Sylvie, and me, I didn't need to calm myself from the rush earlier. In fact, my face grows hot and my fists won't stop squeezing. If I never suggested the idea of coming here in the first place, then none of this would've . . .

I shake my head. If I hadn't come here in the first place, then I wouldn't have been able to see Nana for the longest time.

But . . . I'm not sure how I feel about her, though.

I mean, of course, it makes sense why she did it. She was defending herself from harmful threats, and she just mistook as for one. I'll ask her to apologize to Uni and I can put the fact she shot her aside. She's a nice girl; she'll agree with my request.

Turning to another corner, I whistle the song Sylvie sang when we headed to the Basilicom before she got her permit. It has a nice tune to it. It resonates around the temple since there are no other sounds than my footsteps.

It feels a bit strange to wander around here by myself. There are no noisy Neptunes, and there are no noisy arguments around me. I never had any issues going around alone, but I'm getting a heavy feeling in my chest with all this silence around. Is it because I'm getting used to having other people around now? It's not the same when I was still in Lluna—the only person I'm able to talk to there was Alice and no one else for the most part. She doesn't always visit, so I still get days where I'm by myself. But when I arrived here, the whole thing changed. I'm not used to going around without at least meeting one of them somewhere. Hrm . . . Maybe I'm imagining it.

The doorway leading to where I first met Nana again draws near. But when I take a step in, only the giant tree with wisps surrounding it stands alone in the wide room. I scan the area around—no one.

"Nana? Are you here? I heard from Sylv. You wanted to see me or something?"

No response.

She's probably outside tending to the flowers again around the temple. I can choose to stay here and wait until she gets back, but actually, my mischievous mind tells me to not waste this chance to surprise and possibly scare her. It's not the right thing to do, but I'll play it off as punishment for making me wait long or whatever.

I make my way back to the entrance. However, before I can make my way to the entrance leading back to the hallway, something crashes the ground in front of me. It sends a strong shock wave enough to throw me to the single large tree in the room. Whatever age the tree has, it's hard to tell because the impact crushes my left arm on the trunk. Once the shock wave stops, I fall to the ground.

I struggle as I get up and look at what almost hit me. The smoke clears, and it reveals a large, long, scaly green body creeping around before it raises its spear-like head and stares at me with its sharp, yellow beads of eyes.

"A snake? No . . . You're—"

"That I am, child," the large snake replies with its hollow voice. "They gave me ordersss to keep you from leaving thisss place-shh. Even if I have to ussse exsstreme measuresss."

"Tch. I don't have time to play with you. Move out of the way!"

It answers me with a whip of its tail. Not the talking type, huh? But either way, I still need to find Nana. Although that's easier said than done without a weapon.

I take a stance and prepare to charge at it head-on, but my left arm doesn't listen and remain at my side. The impact from earlier—it caused my left arm to go numb. It's burning and throbbing nonstop, plus I can't move it at all. Charging it in this state spells suicide no matter what I do. My only option is to get past through it without fighting it. But where will I get the opening to do that?

Rummaging the interior compartment of my coat, I make a run straight towards the snake. It retaliates with a charge of its own. Despite its large stature, it's fast. Its head collides with me and throws me to the wall right next to the large tree.

It's not helping when I have this useless yet painful arm holding me back.

The snake slithers towards me again, but this time I'm able to pull out the daggers I kept hidden inside my coat and throw four of them to its head. Once the daggers make contact, it flinches back, which gives me enough time to throw in some more to its long body.

Its head drops to the ground and doesn't move. But its yellow eyes continue to glare at me, the thin pupils thinning.

"Fool. Did you think thessse toysss can kill me?"

"Of course not," I say. "But they'll at least make it easier for me to have a chat with you."

"What do you—" It tries to move, but it only shakes its tail before stopping again. "Paralysisss? But how?!" It struggles again, but the action will tire him out. It's wasting its energy on something impossible to escape from.

"It's useless. I'll release them once I'm satisfied with your answers."

It continues to stare at me before it responds again. "Very well. However, that is, if you can survive this!" It expands the socket of its eyes, giving a better view to its yellow, beady eyes. Except this time, they're radiating a bright glow. The instant my eye locks onto them, my feet turn cold and stiff. I look down and see my feet having the color gray on them.

"Y-you're no ordinary snake if you can use petrification." And it's quite strong as well. I can't feel my feet at all.

"What will you do now, foolisssh child?"

"Let me tell you one thing, though. You're making a mistake by doing that to me."

"What are you talking about—"

I rip off the eye patch covering my left eye, releasing it from its constraints once more. It gives a slight shock to my head since I'm not used to it anymore. I need to give it some sunlight every now and then, huh? I'll do that once this is over.

I raise one leg. Even with my petrified foot, as long as I can still lift it, it won't matter. I drop my leg down and a deep bell sound resonates throughout the whole room. But now I can move my toes again.

"You! You are one of _them_ , are you not?"

"I'm asking the questions here." My left arm's about to make me give in if I remain standing. Plus, my body's sore from being thrown twice to hard surfaces. I sit cross-legged on the ground. "Now then, who gave you those orders? And don't think you have anything to gain by lying to me."

"I am the proud Gorgon Ssspirit. I do not lie, and I do not have a reassson to. My massster gave me thossse ordersss."

"And who's this master you speak of?"

"You will find out soon."

Tch. It doesn't plan on giving me straight answers, does it?

"Where's your master now?"

Without any warning, the Gorgon Spirit's body shines a bright light, forcing me to shield my eyes. There are crunching and scraping sounds, but I don't know where they're coming from. What in Lluna is making those noises?

"Dear me, my time ran out faster than I had expected."

A woman's voice? Is someone else here—whoa!

"You don't have to get surprised, you know? But, oh, I guess it makes sense you'd react this way. You've never seen me in that form anyway."

"Uh. I don't think that's the problem." I pick up the daggers I used to paralyze the Gorgon Spirit and place them back in the interior compartment of my coat.

She's right about one thing, though. I've only seen her in this form and not the other. Her long, shiny green hair; she doesn't have legs and instead has a green snake tail; and a short white tank top covering her chest. She inspects me with the same yellow eyes and nods. "You've definitely grown. Such a shame I couldn't see it during the process."

"Same goes for my parents . . ."

"Mhm, well, anyway." She makes her way towards the base of the giant tree and sits on one of its outgrown roots. She takes out a copy of a magazine Noire had this morning before I left for the hospital. "What are you still doing here? Go on. My master's waiting for you in the Land of Purple Progress."

I'm glad I can leave, but . . . "You're just going to let me leave like that? What about your master's orders?"

"And get hit more of those fancy daggers of yours? No way." At least she's being honest about it. Though, it does make me question her loyalty to her master's words.

"I'll, uh, get going then."

"Good luck. Oh, but can you tell my master to bring me this perfume here?" She shows and points me a picture of a perfume bottle with a brand name I don't know how to pronounce. "It says here it's so effective that boys will get petrified if they just smelled it with a girl wearing it."

"I wouldn't trust those if I were you." A warning I got from Noire about magazines. "But I'll see if I can have your master get you some. If not, I'll get one for you myself as thanks."

"Just get going already. Who knows? You might miss an important thing if you stay here any longer than this."

She's right. Despite being my enemy a while ago, Nana's not here. I need to find her and quick. I rush my way out of the temple. I can't run at full speed, though, and my left arm keeps throbbing. I wish Compa was here to do something about it, but I can't waste time. Now, where did I hear 'Land of Purple Progress' from again?

As I pass through the halls, however, the woman from earlier echoes her laugh throughout the whole temple.


	40. To Whom We Place Our Trust?

**Chapter 40**

 _To Whom We Place Our Trust?_

There are a few options we can do right now.

One: Everyone splits to cover more ground around the city. Two: Each gets a pair, the same case as last time when we went around the city at night. Or three: Focus on the main cause of the whole attack.

Everyone votes for the first option, except when White Heart smashes a bunch of Treants (only about an eight of them gets hit), they push her back with their relentless charges and root attacks. The others help with the fight, but it crosses off the first option. No one agrees to the second option either, as the rest of them converge when we try to settle with picking a few of them off at a time. So, our only option is to find the person behind the whole attack and get them to stop. But there's still a problem with that—

"Argh! There are no signs of that piece of shit anywhere!" White Heart throws her axe towards a group of Pixelvaders and forces them to disperse and crumble into nothing. But the noise and impact attract the other monsters nearby. "There's no end to them!"

A Dogoo sneaks an attack to White Heart's back, but a spear intercepts and throws it away, dispersing it.

"This is troublesome . . . with their amount, they can easily destroy the majority of the city's infrastructures and houses. And yet, they leave after ravaging the interiors." Green Heart throws a _Sylhet Spear_ towards some charging Tokimeki Sisters.

"We can't fend them off for too long, hah!" Purple Heart says as she took down three Terits and two Tetsris coming her way. "But where could they be? If we only have a lead to their locations, we could end this swiftly. Of course, I'm also confused by their behaviors, but our first priority is to protect the city."

Two Radishers pop out of the ground, sandwiching Purple Heart, but Black Heart pushes her out of the way and slashes them with her _Tornado Sword_. "It's too early to get distracted, Neptune. But you're right. We can't hold them off forever."

They continue their discussion while fending off more of the horde, and even though it looks like a bad idea for them, I don't know which is more surprising: them four fighting and talking as though it's some game, or Rom's ability to tell me the monster's information plus the CPUs attack names. But I must not get distracted myself since I'm also part of the fight. Rom helps me with the maneuvers and White Sister takes care of the ones that get too close without me noticing. I've got her back, and she's got mine. Not a bad combo, huh?

Purple Sister and Black Sister are dealing with monsters of their own. And similar to White Sister and I, they make a great team, protecting each other's weaker areas. Although it's nice to watch them and all, I'm not in sync with White Sister at all. Meaning, I'm doing nothing more than whacking with a stick, while she obliterates her targets with her ice spells. I'm trying to cast some myself, but I can never get them to work.

"I don't want to cast my spells, because the affinity is opposite from hers . . ." A Tokimeki Sister catches me off guard and knocks me to the ground. As I recover from the impact, White Sister shots it with a sharp icicle.

"Are you okay?" She asks, and I respond to her with a nod. "We can't let them get all the fun. C'mon, let's show 'em what we've got!"

I've got nothing, but like I'll tell her that. I'm uncertain, but I think I hear Rom giggling from my comment. I'll have to agree with her on this one, though, since I don't have anything in my arsenal at all given my position. If I can use my _Sea of Flames_ , I might reduce the monsters around in a cinch. I'm not sure how tough the monsters are, however, so I'm not sure how much it'll affect the situation here.

There has to be something we can do. Every time we take down some of them, more of them arrive, and in greater numbers even.

"L-Lady Purple Heart!" A mix of purple and white soldier woman yells as he slashes a Tulip before Purple Heart floats down to meet eye-to-eye. The soldier places her sword back on its scabbard and salutes before telling her report. "I have troublesome news. Lady Histoire's been abducted by an unknown man in a cloak."

"What did you say?!" Purple Heart uses her 32-bit Megablade on a swarm of Cardbirds marching behind the soldier. "Tch. We don't have much time. Tell me where he went."

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know. But our scouts reported that most of the monsters are gathering around the Basilicom. He could be around there."

"Then it's a chance we've got. Everyone, let's go."

We all nod and follow her lead while reducing any monsters we come by. And true to the soldier's words, the closer we get to where the Basilicom, the more monsters come after us. At first, it doesn't affect us much, but the further we advance, the slower we're moving. It comes to a point where we're constantly getting surrounded.

Everyone prepares and takes a stance, but Green Heart raises her arm, signalling us to stop.

"I'll cut through a path. Once I do, make sure you make a run for it."

"Green Heart? Are you sure about this?" Purple Heart asks.

"Mhm. I'm very sure. I need to show off to Nepgear and the others sometimes, don't I?"

"Th-that's your reason?" Purple Sister asks, a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead.

With a quick twirl of her spear, Green Heart summons hundreds of spears from green magic circles and focuses her barrage on one side, splitting the monsters apart and making a path for us. "Now go!"

White Heart takes my arm and carries me as we follow the others through the cleared path. There are monsters at the side, but they're confused from the sudden attack Green Heart did and stared at us without moving an inch. I expect them to follow us, some do, but most have their eyes on the one who removed most of their comrades. Can she handle them all?

"C'mon everyone. We can't let her efforts go in vain." The sound of Purple Heart's voice snaps me back. Despite having an annoying human form, she can become so dependable with just one transformation.

But even with Green Heart gaining the attention of some of them, the numbers blocking our way didn't decrease than what we expected.

A giant floating whale slams its belly on top of us, but White Heart stops it with a swing of her axe. The shock waves from the clash even push the other monsters around. It's a great chance to move forward, but . . . "Go on ahead! I'll deal with this myself. Just make sure you get the twins out of here!"

She pushes the whale away, but the Testris uses her recoil as a chance to attack her. But White Sister blows them away with an Eternal Force Blizzard. "Rom can't transform, right? You should take her with you. Just don't let anything happen to her or I'll hate you, dummies."

"Yes, don't worry. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to her," Purple Sister grabs my wrist and nudges me to move. "Be careful, Blanc, Ram."

As much as I hate to admit it, with the way I am right now, I'll only hold them back. So, the least I can do is to save Histoire with the others for them.

We turn to more corners and the outline of the Basilicom is within view. It's so close, but we still have a couple of blocks to go. There are also fewer monsters around this area. It's all thanks to the people who stayed behind, but even with the number decrease, more powerful ones stand in our way. Purple Heart tells us to make a run for it instead while she and Black Heart distract them. Taunting them, Purple Heart and Black Heart force the ogres in some kind of one-on-one clash while simultaneously attacking the smaller monsters.

" _We need to hurry . . ."_ Rom tells me in my head.

"This is our chance. Let's go!" Purple Sister pulls on my arm as we sneak through the ogres. However, one of them switches their targets from Purple Heart to the three of us. I shouldn't worry about it, but Purple Sister doesn't notice it's going after us.

"Look out!" I yank my hand off of Purple Sister's grasp and, with my mind going blank, I push her away. I don't even know what I'm doing. What do I gain from getting one of us out of danger?

Purple Sister stumbles forward and trips to the ground. She looks back at where I am and stretches her hands towards me. "Rom, no!" She tries to get up and go back, but she falls down again and clutches on her knee.

But it's too late. There's a shadow casting above me, so I clutch my eyes and wait for the hit to come.

Except nothing happens.

I open my eyes and turn back to where the hit was supposed to strike me, but instead I see Black Heart above me, her face squeezing and sweat rolling down it. I'm speechless from the sight, but where's her sword? She had it on her hand this whole time. So, what happened to it—

"G-geez. I can't believe I have to do Blanc's request this soon . . . But I'm glad you're okay . . . Khh . . ."

"Noire, why did you throw your sword and charge in like that?!" Purple Heart asks as she slams her sword on the ogre hard enough to send it flying towards a large building.

"Oh please . . . If I didn't, then Rom would've . . . Tsk . . ."

Wait, if she's here, then what happened to the ogre she was fighting? I search around and stumble on something glinting not too far from where I am. The shape of the handle—it's no doubt the shape of the sword Black Heart was using. It's stabbed upright on the ground, but I can't find the other ogre than the one Purple Heart flung away.

"S-sis! Hold on, I'll help you." Black Sister prepares to take flight, but Black Heart stops her.

"Uni, don't. Saving Histoire should . . . should be your first priority." She drags on foot as she reaches for her sword. She doesn't pull it out and uses it to keep herself from collapsing.

However, more monsters arrive and the ogre comes back with its skin scratched everywhere. This is no good. We'll never get out of here if we keep on fighting here.

"Hey, Purple Heart. Take care of Black Sister, will you?" Black Heart yanks her sword in the air and slams it down to hit the monsters blocking our way forward with a Volcano Dive. "Get them out of here. I'm counting you on that."

"What are you talking about? I'm not leaving you here."

"What? You think I'm gonna lose here? You underestimate me. Now get going." Black Heart takes a stance and turns around to face the monsters. Purple Heart heads for our direction as Black Sister struggles to free herself from Purple Sister's restraints. I can kind of understand how she's feeling, but we can't let everyone else down when we're this far already.

"W-wait!" Black Sister shouts and becomes more violent with her struggles, but Purple Sister keeps her from moving an inch despite having an injured knee.

"Uni. Make sure you don't let Neptune take in all the spotlight, okay?"

Purple Heart places a hand on Black Sister's shoulder. "Let's save Histy. It's what your sister wants, right?"

Without saying another word, the three of us make our way towards the Basilicom. But now there are fewer monsters blocking our way. Though I have to say, even when the streets were wide without the crowd, it's like the whole place became five times roomier. There are even fewer footsteps moving in unequal rhythm. But I can't let myself become think about it too much. Maybe once we rescue Histoire, we can come back to help them.

As we pass through another intersection—

"Over there! I see someone!"

From the sound of Purple Sister's voice, my focus shifts to a floating book and a cloaked man in front of Planeptune's Basilicom. Histoire's safe, I'm glad about that, but something's off. They captured her, right? Why are they both here?

"Histoire!" Black Sister rushes forward, but something wraps around her arms and legs and forces her to sit on the ground. "W-what is this?"

"Uni!" Purple Sister rushes in herself, but the same thing happens to her, Purple Heart, and me. The binds on my body are tight. I'm able to move my fingers, but other than those, there's nothing else I can move.

"Good work, as always," a strong and deep, fruity voice says to another person who's also in a brown cloak.

"This is child's play," the other person in a brown cloak says to her companion. From the higher tone on her voice, there's no doubting she's a girl. She has both her arms in front of her, glowing with blue light. "The binds are complete. They have no chance of escaping from this." The light disappears, and she lowers her arms. But that's not the only thing she lowers. The one who apparently got us restrained has pink hair tied up in a single bun with a long stick keeping it in place. "It doesn't matter if they see us now, right?"

"Of course. There is no need to anymore." The other person in the cloak also lowers the hood and reveals a tan, black-haired man with a scar running across his nose, stretching to both his cheeks. His dark brown eyes even look as though it's trying to pierce mine. Who are these two? I've never seen them before.

"N-no way . . . you're—"

"Nana . . ." Purple Heart finishes Purple Sister's sentence. At the same time, however, all three of them reverts from their HDD form to their human forms. "No way. My time ran out?" I wish I got used to her different personalities already, but I didn't have the time for it.

"Good. Now they can no longer interfere," the black-haired man says as he holds out Histoire in his left hand, while the other hand has the book.

"Who are you two? Why are you doing this?!" Unable to hold back, I shout at them. I don't care for their names, but they're treating Histoire like some kind of toy and it's making my face grow hot. It doesn't matter if I look or sound unlike Rom, but I can't stand seeing Histoire like this. The man with black hair moves his mouth, but no sound comes out. Is . . . is he whispering something to Histoire?

"You two should already know me by now," the pink-haired girl says. "After all, you were with him when he came to see me."

"Nana, why? If you're our enemy, then why d'you help us?" Nepgear says as she struggles to catch her breath from the binds.

"You're mistaken. I didn't do it to help any of you—I only did it to help him out."

"So, wait, does that mean you and that dark guy over there did all this?" Neptune asks.

"I have a name, CPU of Planeptune. It's Kyle. You should refrain from labeling someone that'll cause misunderstandings."

"Oh, right. Whoopsies, my bad," Neptune laughs, but it doesn't last long. "Wait, I have a name too you know! It's—"

"I'm aware of your name, but I've got neither the care nor the patience to use it."

"W-whoa . . . you didn't have to be mean about it . . ."

"What are you planning to do with Histoire?" Nepgear struggles again. "Nana, please, what do you think Maki will feel if he sees you doing this? Please, stop this already."

"You still don't understand, do you? Kyle and I—we're not the ones who came up with this."

"What do you mean? Who else would plan all this then?" I ask.

"The answer's simple. The one who planned all this—the one who caused destruction to this place—is none other than Maki."

Everyone turns their attention to the one person approaching as she answers with the soothing sound of her voice and brushing the long, straight silver hair that shines brighter than the silver moon. She stops beside Kyle and Nana and takes the tome from the former's hand.

"Sylvie . . .?" What's she doing here. And why?

"I-it's all true, you three," Histoire says with a strained voice from being squeezed from Kyle. "He . . . he played us as fools . . . and deceived us."


	41. Where the Heart Lies

**Chapter 41**

 _Where the Heart Lies_

"What . . what do you mean?" I ask. It takes a bit of time for me to grasp her words, but what she's trying to say is . . . Maki was the one behind all of this? Him? But how can it be him? That can't be true—it just can't. I'll shred all of the dresses in my closet before I'd imagine something that ridiculous. How can he, of all people, plan something this elaborate? It may be hypocritical of me for not having seen him plan and execute something big before, but I'd rather stay a hypocrite than listen to the words of someone I don't know.

But she's not someone I don't know. Not only that, she's the only one who knows the real me besides Rom, and that's the problem.

"T-there's no way that's true!" Uni speaks up. "He's stupid, dumb, and stupid. So, there's no way he'd come up with something this stupid!"

Uh, how many stupids were there?

"I agree. I don't think he's the type of person who'd harm us," Nepgear adds. I'm one-hundred percent behind her on this. If there's one thing I have to disagree on, it's him trying to do anything against us. It doesn't make any sense for him to do something like this. There's nothing for him to gain in the first place.

Sylvie puts both of her arms under her breasts and then runs her fingers through her long, silver hair. "I'm surprised you all put so much trust in him. He's not part of your group of friends, Nepgear, and neither are the others. He's only taking advantage of your kindness. You realize this, don't you?"

Nepgear shakes her head. Despite being bound, she's able to talk to Sylvie as though they're on a level footing. It's nice because it helps calm the pounding of my heart down. "He's our friend. What's wrong with helping a friend in need—Gah!" The shackles restraining us squeeze tighter, burning the skin around my arms and my legs.

" _I don't feel it, but it looks painful . . ._ " I'm glad to hear Rom can't feel this. Although in my case, I can't feel any of my arms or my legs.

"'Your friend', you say?" Nana throws a small paper talisman to Nepgear and it bursts out an explosion once it makes contact on her skin. I don't know how painful that feels, but the wind blows the short hair on Rom's body back, probably enough to paint me a good picture. "That's a lie and you know it. Tell me, has he even considered any of you as his friends? Have you asked him? Did he answer you?"

Nepgear falls silent. I know for a fact I never heard him say anything about being friends or wanting to become friends. I never asked Nepgear or the others, but he never even mentioned about it when we were going around as well. But no one needs to declare that they're friends to be one, do they? Surely, they must feel the same way. I, for one, am sure of it. But . . . it would've been nice if we heard it from his own voice.

"T-that's . . ." Uni bites her lower lip. What's this? Does she know something that we don't? Actually, nevermind her, Nepgear's also acting strange. Did something happen in the past not even I know about?

"What about you then?" Uni changes the spotlight from her to Nana. "Who are you to him? I bet you don't know a single damn thing about him."

But Nana responds her question with throwing paper talismans to Uni. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" With each hit, black smoke emerges. It's obscuring my vision on Uni, but Rom's vain attempt to beg Nana to stop in my head makes me want to vomit. They can't hear her, of course, but it's becoming unbearable for me to listen to her cry as she pleas. She can't stand watching her friends get hurt, and it's the same thing for me. I don't have the same mutual bond they share, but it doesn't mean I can't care for her, right? But there's nothing I can do to help her except watch. And I'm reaching my limits. "Anything else you'd like to say, Candidate of Lastation?"

As the smoke clears out, Uni coughs, her dress torn, and her skin having scratches all over. "T-that's . . . all you've got?"

"Please, Uni," Nepgear pleads, "you're gonna get hurt even more!"

"S-shut up!" Uni says to Nepgear before glaring at the two other girls next to the person gripping Histoire on his hands. "You're no friend to him. You're all just deceiving liars!"

Upon hearing her words, Nana prepares more talismans to throw. Nepgear yells louder for her friend's safety, but Uni gets another hit on her anyway. "Who do you think you are?" Nana pulls on the bangs of Uni's hair to get a better view on her face. "You think you're any better?"

"At least I don't lie to my friends," Uni spits on her. "Who do you think is worse? He trusted you, and you lied to him."

Nana steps back and takes out more talismans, but the man holding Histoire captive raises his arms in front of her to stop her. "But Kyle, she—"

"That's enough!" The power coming from his voice silences even the most annoying squirms from the monsters around. Nana looks away, tightens her grip on her talismans, crumples the paper material, before removing them from her hands. Although she continues to glare us with her bright magenta eyes.

With Histoire on his left hand, Kyle raises her in a way where she can see all three of us, and in turn, we can also see her. A pained look on her face.

"I only have but one question from all of you," he turns Histoire to face him again. "Where do you store these 'Shares'? If you show us where it's located, we might consider letting all of you go and call the monsters off from rampaging the city. A fair trade, wouldn't you think?" He turns her to face us again, still having a pained expression. "We had the monsters scavenge the whole city, but none could find Shares anywhere. Tell us, and we'll pretend nothing ever happened. Or would you rather have her suffer first?"

Histoire lets out a cry almost resembling Rom's plea. At this rate, she might lose consciousness before we can rescue her. Or worse.

"In your dreams! We're not dumb enough to tell you anything. Don't you have any honor? This is plain cowardice," Uni says.

"Coward, I may be, but I'm in no position to pick and choose. Not now, anyway." He glances behind him and returns his view to us.

What he just said—does he mean he's waiting for something? We're already in no condition to move or fight back, and Nana's rampage stopped for the time being, but what he said bothers me. He's expecting something to come up, doesn't he? And I don't want to know what it is.

"What do you plan on using the Shares once you get it?" Uni asks. But I see her arms budging from behind her. And I can see it clearly. One of her arms is already out of the binds.

"And why should we tell you?" Nana snarls. She has her one hand behind her back, her arm shaking. I imagine she's holding back her urge to throw another one of those paper talismans, but because of Kyle's orders, she's restraining herself. By this time, however, the flesh on both of Uni's arms aren't touching the bindings anymore. She's almost there. If she can at least distract them some more, she can free herself and get us out of here.

"It doesn't matter," Kyle says with an indifferent tone. "But first I want to ask you: where do Shares come from? I've never heard of such energy before, so intrigue me."

I too have never heard of Shares before. But Rom tells me it's a warm feeling in CPUs body when they have a lot of faith from people. It's hard for me to know exactly what it is, but the description sounds similar to the magic energy swirling around of what used to be my body. So, I can take a few guesses, but who knows if they're accurate.

"Well," Uni continues as she removes more of the bindings around her torso while making sure it's not obvious to them, "it's not something you can touch." They haven't noticed what she's doing yet. But she should at least keep the smirk off her face. They might catch on.

He nods. "Right. Go on."

"It's energy made from people's faith in the CPUs. You won't be able to see it, and it's not something you can get your hands on easily."

"Then how are we supposed to gather them? Surely there must be a way."

"There's no way you can get them."

Neptune squirms from the left side behind me. Well, I hear her voice doing something, but I don't know what thing she's doing in the first place. There's rustling, scratching, and also scraping. "Hey, hey~ I see what's going on here," she whispers. "Let. Me. Try. Something. Too!" Now there's a sound of something tightening and squeezing. It ends with Neptune panting for breath. "Nevermind . . . I'll cheer for you in the sidelines instead. Go, Uni." At least she's giving morale support.

"Yes, she's free!" Nepgear shout-whisper from the other side behind me. And she's right. Uni's free from her bindings.

"I'd like to tell you more," Uni shoots up from sitting and materializes her weapon, "but I'm here to stop you, right here, right now. So, just hand over Histoire and get out of here before I shoot you."

"Way to go, Uni!" Neptune and Nepgear cheers.

"Give it up!" She gives a thumbs up to us and smirks.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention. While you were removing those loose bindings I had Nana set on you, I prepared a present for you all, as a token for your efforts," Kyle says, snapping his fingers. All at once, the ground shakes and a large stem appears from the ground, moving upwards as though it's growing fast. On its top end, the tulip-shaped petals with the shade of pink and magenta spreads itself out and reveals the pollen-filled center of the flower with IF and Compa bounded in roots.

The sudden appearance of both the plant, IF and Compa has us in awe. What on Lluna is that flower? It's half the size of the Basilicom.

"What's the meaning of this?" Uni asks, not taking her eyes off the sight before us.

"A present, like I said. I've prepared it just for all of you while you were busy having a small celebration among yourselves." Kyle is already pointing the tip of the large sword that was hanging on his back right on the flesh of Compa's neck. He got there so fast that I had to look around before finding him on top of the flower.

"I was wondering when you'd get your bindings off," Sylvie says, flashing a grin on our direction. "Nana had it loose enough for you to get out, but I guess we underestimated how long you'd take. Well, since you're already out and can see the current situation, I'm sure you know what you're supposed to do with that gun of yours, don't you? Just put it down, and no one gets hurt, alright?"

"Tch . . ." Uni growls but complies. Her gun drops to the ground and, with a loud thud, she raises her hands in the air. She maintains a glare on Sylvie's direction. "I thought you were on our side? Don't tell me you've been lying to us?"

"Don't worry, Uni. I still haven't forgotten what you did for me. But you shouldn't do anything to get yourself in even more danger. With your wounds, I doubt you can get away with anything." Sylvie whispers something on a small, black sheet of paper-like thing and throws it to Uni's direction. The paper bursts and letters form when it gets in front of Uni's face. It's annoying me how I can't read the letters with how small they are and how hard it is to read from where I am, no matter how much I squirm to get closer to get a better distance; but whatever the words say, Uni jerks her head to the sender. Sylvie, upon seeing her reaction, giggles and takes a step back. "Understand? You don't want that, do you?"

Uni smacks the mailbox next to her, knocking it down, bites her lower lip, and rushes towards us to remove the bindings on Nepgear, Neptune, and then me. I stretch around to check for any injuries (which has none, at least). It's relieving that my body can move around without anything squeezing me dry, but I'm still bothered with what Sylvie messaged her. "What did she tell you?" Nepgear asks Uni. I'm maintaining my ear's focus to catch every word that will come out of her mouth.

Uni doesn't answer. It's only when she glances behind her, to Compa and IF, to Kyle, to Nana, and to Sylvie, that she gives us an answer. "They have more hostages than those two up there."

"More of them?! Where?" Nepgear looks around, but monsters and fallen debris are what covers our whole field of vision. She looks back at Uni, expecting an answer. "What should we do?" Nepgear's question gets answered with Uni shaking her head.

"There's nothing we can do. For now, we should wait and see."

"Is that so?" Neptune asks. "Then, we can't do anything else than sit and watch? Man, that sucks. Let's just fly there and save Compa and Iffy. They won't see it coming if we do it quick enough." Neptune makes tight noises, like trying to pull a heavy object that won't budge no matter what you do, and ends up panting for breath again. "W-what's going on? I can't transform!"

I pull on Nepgear's sleeve. "Huh? Is something wrong?" she asks. I nod and point at a direction. She looks at me confused and follows where I'm pointing. "What the goodness is that?!"

"Huh? What is, Nep Jr.?"

"Over there!" Nepgear also points.

"Wowzers! What the heck is that thing? It's huge and looks gross. Bleugh." Just as Neptune describes, a tall wooden thing with a strange cat-like face stands behind a group of different colored Dogoos and Horsebirds. Its lip puckers like it's sucking something and it has darkish purple smoke emitting around it. The smoke doesn't affect the monsters around, but it looks ominous enough for me not to want to have anything to do with touching it.

"So you've noticed," Nana says, our attention turning to her. "It's the Anubis Spirit. It's doing exactly what you think it's doing."

"Oh, okay then. If it's what's stopping us from transforming, let's destroy it and—"

"It's no use. With your current state, there's no way you can leave even a tiny scratch," Sylvie says, flicking her long hair. "Just tell us where we can get the Shares and we'll let you all go as promised. But just so you know, I'm only saying it because Kyle told me not to harm you if you comply. So please, don't make it harder for me as it is for you."

Neptune doesn't listen and goes to smash the Anubis Spirit while pushing her way through the surrounding monsters. When she hits the stiff body, however, a loud _tink_ sounds from the contact of her sword to its body. She comes back, her shoulders slump.

"What should we do . . .?" Nepgear bites her lower lip. I can understand her frustrations, but what else can we do?

I squeeze my hands and stare at Sylvie's eyes, unblinking. It's still all over my head, but she tricked us this whole time, didn't she? A jester who plays the others as fools? Has she told Kyle and Nana who I am as well? I thought I could've trust her because she knew Maki and wanted to get along with him again. Were those also an act? To play us as the fools?

But what about Maki? There's just no way he'd done this. But . . . somehow, I can't get myself to convince it isn't possible for him to do. Sylvie done it herself, so what makes him any different? I never asked him how long he's been in Gamindustri, nor have I asked him anything about himself. Maybe I should have. He might have been here for who knows how long and has planned all this for a long while now. Has he changed after that thing happened? Was that the reason? Was it my fault this whole time then? Thinking about it, it's getting harder for me to hold back the stifles and tears on the verge of bursting.

". . . _Why are you sad?_ "Rom says in my head.

"I don't know who to trust anymore. Sylvie lied, Rivi lied, I lied to you. I don't know what's true anymore."

". . . _Lie to me? Why . . . would you ever lie to me?_ "

"I promised to give you your body back, but I don't know how. I don't know anything. I don't know anything anymore."

" _. . . Who's Rivi?_ "

"Oh, right. You don't know who that is. But it doesn't matter. He's not the Rivi I know, not anymore." I clench my fists tighter. "He's just a plain liar. And it's all my fault."

"Rom?" Nepgear kneels down to level my height. "What's your fault? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes, I did, because—" I stop myself from running my mouth more. I almost lost my composure and told her everything, who I am, and what I'm talking about. I can't tell them, I just can't. But they deserve to know the truth. I can't keep lying to them like this, but I don't want to tell them. Is it because I feel guilty about this? That I'm the one to blame for all of this? I don't want them to hate me, and I don't want them to think it's my fault.

Maybe I am a hypocrite after all. I'm to blame yet I don't want them to find me at fault.

But I can't lie to them anymore. If I tell them everything, maybe this can end. All I need is to say the word and everything will be all over.

" _Don't tell them!_ " Rom shouts inside my head.

"But—"

" _Please, Celes. They'll be sad_."

I let out a ragged sigh. "Alright, I won't tell them."

" _. . . Thank you._ "

"Rom?"

I shake my head and beam a smile to Nepgear. "Nothing. I just don't want them hurt." I point at Compa and IF.

Nepgear pats my head and beams back at me. "Don't worry, we'll save them. We'll think of something, but for now, we can only watch."

"That's nice and all," Neptune says, "but we can't just sit back and watch. My protagonist intuition is telling me to do something! It's not like a random Noire is going to save us. She's already useless and got left behind!"

"I heard that, Neptune." From the sound of a familiar voice, a heavy assault of thin slashes engulfs some of the monsters around and dissipates. It's incredible, and also scary at the same time. Almost half of the monsters in the surrounding area remains.

"Nepu! N-Noire?! What are you doing here? Weren't you holding off those monsters earlier?"

"I was, but I finished them off," Black Heart flies down towards us. "Also, who are you calling useless? If anything, you're the useless one here. If we didn't come, you wouldn't have gotten out of this pinch."

"Wait, 'we'? What do you mean 'we'?"

"That means us, you lazy shit!" White Heart comes spinning towards the Anubis Spirit and smashes it to bits. It happens so sudden, but now more magic energy courses through my whole body. And I'm not the only one who's feeling it.

But with this, we might have a chance. I don't want to get too overly excited, but I want some answers, and I want to hear them from Maki himself. If he's been the one planning this, then maybe we can ask those three once we get them to submit. They still have hostages, though, and there's no doubt they won't use them for anything sly if we let them be.

"Sweet! Thanks, Blanc!" Neptune transforms; Nepgear follows suit. "That's much better. But they still have Iffy and Compa as hostages. What should we do?"

"Way ahead of you," White Heart says as she floats towards us.

" _Rainy Ratnapura!_ " Green Heart strikes where Kyle, IF and Compa are and forces the former to back off. She grabs both girls, lifts them up in the air, and brings them towards us. "Are any of you two hurt? You should find a place to hide and keep yourselves away from here. We'll handle things from here."

"Yeah, let us beat up the dummies!" White Sister, Ram, floats towards us with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Everyone . . ." Neptune closes her eyes and opens them again, sharper than earlier. "Let's take them down. Now there's nothing holding us back."

"Hmph. I was planning to, anyway." Black Heart takes a stance but falters and almost loses her footing.

"Don't overexert yourself. You took the most beating than all of us," Green Heart says.

"Worry about yourselves. I can handle this much. Now then, why don't we save Histoire and finish this already? I want to rest up sooner."

Speaking of Histoire, where did she go? She was held captive in Kyle's hands earlier, but now she's gone and nowhere around. He must've done something, but we won't know until we get him to submit and talk.

Everyone turns back to our enemies. Sylvie, Kyle, and Nana stands side-by-side and looks at us with indifference. The whole occurrence and disruption should've fazed them even a little bit, but they seem calm about this. Purple Heart returns their glare with her own. Green Heart takes a step forward, spear in hand, and asks, "You there," she points at Kyle, "are you the mastermind of all this?"

But Purple Sister replies to her question. "About that . . ." She looks at Purple Heart, Black Heart, and me, before taking a deep breath. "It's . . . Maki who planned this."

White Heart connects her fist with her palm. "I knew there was something sketchy about him. I'm gonna kill him when I see him."

"That's not very goddess-like to say," Green Heart comments.

"Shut up, bitch! I don't want to hear that from you!" White Heart growls.

A loud, slow clap catches all of our attention. Kyle is the one doing it, and he releases a laugh somewhere in the middle of it, overpowering the sound a bit. "Interesting, interesting! Congratulations on destroying both the Anubis Spirit and the Rafflesia Spirit. You deserve a reward. Oh, but don't think you've already won."

"Hmph! You don't have anything left. We've already dealt with the majority of the monsters around here." It's true, what Black Heart claims. Most of the surrounding monsters disappeared without a trace. We have a chance to beat them now, and we can't waste an opportunity they gave us. Sylvie . . I had hoped it would never come to this at all since I considered you my first friend who knew who I really am, but still we must fight you too. Even if we were friends.

Black Sister kicks the ground and flings herself towards Nana. "Sorry, but I want to give you my payback from what you did earlier. No hard feelings."

Nana snarls and explodes another paper talisman at Black Sister. They gain a few distance and they attack each other some more. This time, however, when paper talismans gets thrown at her direction, Black Sister shoots them all down before they connect to her body.

Purple Heart and Black Sister gang up on Kyle. They send in their attacks, but Kyle negates them all with one big swing of his sword. Not only that, it creates a strong force of wind, pushing the two away as he places the sword on his shoulder. "Don't underestimate me. I'm not a mere barbarian who swings his sword at people. If you wish to take me down, you need to give me your worst!" He hurls his sword towards them, and the tip stabs the ground. But the moment it does, Kyle grabs it and continues to swing at them.

"Just so you know, I never liked you from the beginning," White Heart says to Sylvie. "If I knew you were turning your back on us, then I wouldn't have let Rom visit you ever in your sorry excuse for a shop." She smashes her axe towards her, but it gets deflected with a metal arrow and is forced to swing backward. "What?!"

"Mine's the opposite," Sylvie says as she readies her bow, pulling on the string with green glowing arrows on it. "I took a liking to your sister. And I'd like to thank you for letting me talk to her. But I'd like to ask you to take back your words about my shop." She lets go of the string and the arrows fly, aiming at White Heart, but a spear cuts them off course and disappears.

"Like hell I'll take it back!"

"My, oh my. We both share the same feeling, then. I too took a liking to her sister. However," Green Heart throws a spear at her, "we do not have the same mutual feelings about it."

Sylvie grabs a bottle from a small bag on her waist and throws it at the hurling spear. When they connect, the spear gets thrown back after getting hit with an explosion. But it doesn't end there. She takes out thin vials and hurls them at the two. The vials burst and fires thin, shining arrow-like things towards them. The attack catches the two of them by surprise and are unable to defend themselves from the rain of arrows, putting their arms up to stop some of them, but by the time it ends, more arrows shower them. "If you have time to run your mouths, use them to defend yourselves instead."

"I'll help you with that dummy!" White Sister flies off to where Black Sister is and casts ice magic to block more of Nana's paper talismans.

But she misses five of them and three makes contact with Black Sister. The remaining two gets shot with Purple Sister's attack. "Sorry, Uni, I couldn't get all of them. But don't worry, I've got your back. Just focus on attacking."

"You better! I'm gonna return the favor by tenfold!"

Their clashes fill the air. In fact, it's so loud it can rival the noises of a million people talking in one place all at the same time. Or a roar of a dragon in a cave.

"You're not in the right condition to fight yet," Compa grabs my arm and pulls me behind a large part of the ground risen from Kyle's attack where IF is also hiding behind. "Stay here with us. We'll cheer your sisters on from here, so don't worry about a single thing." Her words are both calming and poisonous to me at the same time.

They still think I'm not feeling well and can't fight. I managed to convince Blanc for me to come with and I was able to get here, but they don't know the real reason why I can't fight. I can't cast any of Rom's spells, and I don't want to take another risk of using another one of my own spells.

". . . _I . . . don't like this,_ " Rom tells me over the loud noises from the fight.

"What do you mean?"

" _Sylvie . . . is our friend, isn't she?_ _She knows who you are, right?_ "

"I know, Rom, but—" Even I can't believe it. But it's right in front of us, right before our eyes. "She wasn't our friend. She lied to us. She's an enemy, and we have to accept that fact."

" _. . . She was a nice person._ "

"I know that too." I peek from behind the barrier between me and the CPUs and those three. Both sides attack strong against each other and dodge against most attacks, but they're able to dodge less and less the longer they go on. At some point, they all back away from each other and the loud clashing sound stops.

"You three aren't bad at all," Black Heart says as she catches her breath. "But this won't last forever."

"I agree with you there," Nana says as she regains her composure. "Why don't we try to level the playing field, even for a bit, don't you agree?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Uni," Sylvie calls. "Remember our first visit to that one temple?"

Uni tilts her head and raises her eyebrow. "Yeah. What about it?"

"I know you remember those voices. We led you there on purpose so you could hear them. And now you've taken the last important thing, everything is complete. It was only a matter of time, and that time is nearing."

"What are you talking about? I heard those voices alright, but what does that got to do with anything?"

"Neptune, Nepgear, remember what I asked you to get me?"

"The Dream Flowers . . ." Purple Heart says, lowering her sword and placing a finger on her chin.

"Tell me, do you remember who gave them?"

Purple Heart and Purple Sister's eyes widen from her question. I almost forgot about that. They did say they got it from some shady person, but they gave it up without a fight and left. "The one who gave them to us . . ."

"Don't tell us . . . it was Kyle?!" Purple Sister finishes Purple Heart's sentence.

Sylvie nods, showing off a smirk. "You guessed it~" The tone she gives is the same one when she interrupted us during our picnic. She walks up to Black Sister and places a hand on her shoulder. "Let's say those voices you heard weren't just to torment your mind. What if it was to—how do I tell you clearly? Enter into someone's mind and access it?"

Black Sister slaps the hand on her shoulder and points her weapon right on her face. But there's something off about her. Unlike how she usually points it with sharp eyes, the entire thing is shaking from her hands and her teeth is bare and gritting.

"What's wrong, Uni? Are you hesitating? If you want to shoot me down, now is the time. Go on, pull it!" Despite saying them, the smirk on Sylvie's face grows wider.

Black Sister shoves her away and drops her weapon. But when she does, she falls on one knee and holds her head as she lets out squirms of pain. Purple Sister rushes to her aid, but Sylvie blows her back with a strong force of a large arrow hitting the ground in front of her. Purple Sister flies backward, but Purple Heart catches her. "Thanks, sis," Purple Sister says.

"No problem, but we need to get Uni out of there."

Just as Purple Heart says the word, more paper talismans fly towards the them two. They dodge it, but Sylvie, Kyle, and Nana are already preparing to continue the fight.

Everyone but Kyle takes a stance and prepare to attack again. Purple Heart and Black Heart charge towards Sylvie, while White Heart and Green Heart goes for Nana. As they continue to engage in their clashes, I hear more of Rom's pleas for them to stop. She keeps saying, " _Friends shouldn't fight,_ " and " _Please . . . make them stop_." Her pleas are about to make my head explode; I can't stand by here and do nothing. I jump out of hiding and raise my arms, my mouth moving as it recites an incantation, to try and stop them, but at the exact same moment, the arrows and talismans flying around disappear and the CPUs stop their charge and pull back.

What's going on? They all just stop.

"What, what is this . . .?" Purple Heart holds her scrunched face.

Black Heart stabs the ground with her sword and uses it to keep her balance. "W-what was that? It's like something snapped inside my head."

"Graah! It hurts, dammit!" White Heart hits her head.

"What did you three do—ugh!" Green Heart asks Sylvie and her companions as she uses her own spear to keep her from falling to the ground.

"Y-you tell me," Sylvie says as she holds her own head. It's not only her; both Kyle and Nana are experiencing the same kind of pain the CPUs are experiencing. But I'm completely fine here. It also doesn't look like IF and Compa is getting affected. But I am glad their onslaught stopped, even for a moment. I doubt they'll be able to do anything for a while in their states.

Amidst their confusions, however, something drops between the two sides and emits smoke, making hard to see what caused it. The smoke forces everyone to close their eyes and shield themselves from it.

Once the smoke disappears, a lone man in a white coat with crescent designs around the edges, an eyepatch on his left eye, and crimson hair, stands in the middle between the two sides of the war. He looks around the area, and when his eye lands on Black Sister, he walks over to her, but Black Heart yells at him, "Get away from her!" and throws her sword towards him, but he dodges it. The sudden movement causes him to kneel to the ground to catch himself.

He's here. I want to ask him for some answers, but his stare leaves me paralyzed. Sharp, piercing, hollow, empty, but most of all, burning—I've never seen his eye like that before. Not once in my entire life of knowing him.

* * *

~ **Nepstation** ~

Neptune: "You're watching Nepstation! I'm everyone's favorite host and goddess, Neptune! And with me today, we have our lovely, hardcore gamer, Vert!"

Vert: "It is most wonderful to see you all today."

Neptune: "Another chapter rolled in and things are starting to heat up! But it would be nice if the author actually send them out quicker. His worst nightmares might come true and have people in front of his house with pitchforks and torches."

Vert: "Oh, don't be so harsh on him, Neptune. Things don't always go according to plan, and he already explained his circumstances to us, did he not? While I, myself, do not attend an institution of education, I can understand the difficulties he's experiencing with his schedules. After all, even I have days where I have to pick whether I play the newly released games or finish all of the work of a CPU. I certainly cannot pick one over the other and would usually do both, but it gets tiresome and drains a lot out of you quicker."

Zidawn: "Uh, I appreciate for standing up for me, Vert, but I don't want people to get the wrong idea that I'm in the same position as you when you play games. But in any case, please continue with the program, Neptune."

Neptune: "Alright~ Ahem, things were becoming hard for me and the others. But our favorite tsundere queen arrived and saved the day! Of course, along with our other friends too."

Vert: "However, with the arrival of the mastermind, the CPUs will find a shocking revelation within the coming future chapters. What will happen to them within the next chapters? Find out next time, on Lunadimension Neptunia: er, you don't have a subtitle ready yet?"

Zidawn: "No, not yet. It'll be out once the next chapter is released."

Vert: "I see. Well, in any case, do you have any final words?"

Zidawn: "There's a note on top of your desk. Neptune, can you read it out?"

Neptune: "I don't wanna. You do it, Vert."

Zidawn: "Really? You're even lazy to read my note?"

Neptune: "Aren't you the one lazy to have us read it instead of you telling it outright?"

Zidawn: "W-well, majority of the people prefer to read your texts instead of mine, so it has to be one of you."

Neptune: "Nope. Don't wanna."

Zidawn: "Ugh . . . Vert? Can I ask you to read it instead?"

Vert: "With pleasure. Ahem, 'The first arc is almost finished, but it doesn't end there. I hope you all could see what I was trying to go for in the first arc, but even if you don't, I hope you enjoyed it at least. I know I haven't been frequent with my uploads, but I'm trying my best to fit it in with how much time I have. For now, this is all I'm going to release, but I'll make sure to send out the next one as soon as I'm able and satisfied with the outcome.'"

Zidawn: "Thank you. Now, Neptune, can I ask you to end it how you usually do it?"

Neptune: "Nope~"

Zidawn: "Er, okay . . . Vert? I'm sorry, but can you . . .?"

Vert: "Neptune, please stop bullying him. But alright, I'll do it. See you all in the next chapter. And as always, thank you for reading up until this point. It is most appreciated."

Zidawn: "And that's a wrap."

Vert: "Agreed. Would you like to have some tea with me before you leave? I'll have Chika prepare the best one in short notice."

Zidawn: "Thanks, that sounds nice."

Neptune: "Hey, what about me?! I'm still here!"

Vert: "*sigh* I guess there's no harm in that. Come now, let us depart to Leanbox at once. I still have a raid in 4 Goddesses Online later tonight."


	42. Deceit and Defeat

**Chapter 42**

 _Deceit and Defeat_

He's here . . . Maki—the person no one knows if they can put their trust in or not. And even I find myself having a tough time giving my trust to him. Maybe that's why he calls himself by that name. To deceive people and prevent them from knowing who he truly is. And to my dismay, it's working, for one thing, but now that must end today. I'll not play the fool any longer. Sylvie already told us his plans, so now we just need to stop them from whatever they're planning. But I still can't stop the questions floating around my mind no matter how much I try to discard them: why is he doing this? Does he not see every one of us friends? I thought he was better than that. But then again, he's not the same person I knew from back then.

I stare at his eye—with its attention on Black Heart's—and try to make anything out of his purple eye. It's hard to tell what expression he's making, but when he locks eye contact with me for a split moment, my spine gives a shiver. Did he catch me looking? Or was he looking out for someone or something else?

"Aahh!" Black Heart falls to the ground, clutching her head after the vain attempt of throwing her sword towards Maki.

"Relax or you'll hurt yourself more than necessary," Maki says in his usual tone, but it sounds colder than how it was before. He stands up and dusts the dirt sticking onto his pants and coat. "It's such a mess here—couldn't you all have picked somewhere better to fight instead of making a large dent in the city?"

"Shut up, you lying bastard!" White Heart growls, picking up her axe but falls back to her knees again, dropping the handle of her weapon.

Kyle gets to his feet and faces Maki. The two of them stares eye-to-eye, none of them saying a word until Kyle breaks the silence between them. "Sylvie was successful, wasn't she?" He earns a nod from him. "It wouldn't have come to this if you just tell us where the Shares are in the first place." A playful tone rings as he says the words.

"There's no way in hell we'll let you have it your way, bastards!" White Heart says.

"However, it seems it won't be that simple. Now then, what shall we do next, Maki?" Kyle smirks, and Maki answers with another nod.

Purple Heart forces herself to look at Maki even with a scrunched-up face. "How could you . . . do this to us?"

Yes, how could he indeed? But it might not be off at this point. There's no hint of the same person he was from the time when I was still back in my body. But I'd at least want to know why. If I'm the reason why he's like this, I'll do everything in my power to apologize and stop him. But I'll have to sacrifice hiding my identity from them if I do. And Rom still doesn't want me to reveal it to them, and there's nothing I can do but listen to her plea. After all, it's her friends and her body. I have no right to decline her requests.

He doesn't answer and turns around to face his back to us. But after a short while, he responds to her question. "You'll know soon enough. But first, I've got something to say to Uni here. I'm sure there's something that needs to be done." He turns to Sylvie. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, everything's ready." Sylvie catches herself from losing balance, clutching her head in the process. Whatever happened earlier, it still hasn't worn off from them. Even Nana still struggles to keep a grip on himself to remain standing. "Ugh . . . Just give her the word and we can proceed."

"Good. Now then, Uni . . ." Maki crouches next to Uni, who's in all fours, and whispers something to her. I can only see the movement of his lip, but I can't hear the words he's telling her. I wish I can run up to them and listen in, but I'm still frozen from his gaze. Why am I feeling this way?

Black Heart doesn't take this lightly, however. She pushes herself up and re-materializes her sword. She takes a stance and prepares to take flight towards him, but she doesn't move and instead has a confused look on her face.

Instead of questioning her what's wrong, everyone else also sets all of their attention to the person who gave a warning shot to the ground next to Black Heart. "U-Uni . . .? What are you doing?"

Uni says nothing; she stands there, her weapon in hand, and points it at Black Heart with piercing and unwavering eyes. I don't understand—what's going on with her? The question lingers around my head for a few seconds until I remember Sylvie's words: " _What if it was to—how do I tell you clearly? Enter into someone's mind and access it?_ " Whatever the flowers they mentioned and the voices Sylvie said, they had something to do with this, don't they? And Maki used it to his advantage. Just how much did he plan all of this?

Purple Sister steps up and calls out to her. "Uni, please, snap out of it! You're pointing your gun at your own sister!" She gets no response from her, and instead, Uni redirects her gun to Purple Sister and fires a shot but misses her feet by an inch on the ground. "No . . . it can't be."

"What did you do to her, you dummy?" White Sister asks Maki as she throws icicle spears at him. They miss, however. She stops after the third icicle and pants to catch her breath. "Give her back!"

"If you want her back, defeat her in a fight. Of course, she's not your only opponent," Maki says as she takes a step back. Sylvie, Kyle, and Nana join Uni and prepares their weapons again.

"I swear, I'm going to kill you and your ugly smug, ya hear me?!" White Heart threatens as she hoists her axe to her shoulder and growls at them. "You'll pay for tricking us, and you'll pay for messing with that haughty bitch's little sister. If it were Rom or Ram, I'd break every bone on your body until you cry out for mercy!"

Maki remain unfazed from her words. But he steps forward and points a finger at our group. "All of you: do you want answers?"

"I believe it is a given," Green Heart says. "We simply wish to know what schemes you were planning and what your end goal is."

"Then the answer is simple. Beat us, and we'll answer every question you have."

"This is how the trade will go, will it not? However . . ." She summons her spear again and twirls it before readying her stance once more. "I will not be holding back like back then, even if you were acquainted with some of us before. But before we continue our fight, may I ask you one question?"

Maki raises an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Have you ever considered any of us as friends? Even a little?"

He glares at her and grits his teeth. He answers her without a stutter. "I'm not obligated to answer your question."

"I see . . ." Green Heart closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, she returns the sharp glare she received from Maki. "Then there shall be no hard feelings after this war."

"I wish that was the case."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, are you all ready?" Once Maki gives the word, without another moment's delay, Sylvie throws more potions in the air and fires more rain of arrows towards the CPUs. They all disperse, but Green Heart, who dodges to the right, meets the sharp end of Kyle's blade. She blocks it in time, of course, but Kyle pushes her back and follows-up with another swing of his sword, giving her no room to retaliate.

On the left side, Black Heart maneuvers away from tiny shiny things from a handful of paper talismans from Nana while also dodging the onslaught of exploding talismans.

White Heart flies upward, but Sylvie meets her at the other end with her bow ready to fire more arrows at her. White Heart answers her with a strong swing of her axe, but Sylvie blocks it with another metal arrow.

Purple Sister and White Sister step back from the arrows, but when they do, they put up magical barriers from more shots, but this time those shots aren't from the potions Sylvie threw. The area where they stood earlier gets covered in smoke, but Uni emerges from the smoke, pointing her gun once again at the two. I still can't believe what my eyes are seeing. Uni barrages them nonstop, but they don't fight back. "I don't want to fight you, not like this," Purple Sister begs.

"It's no good, Nepgear." White Sister casts an Ice Coffin (Rom tells me it's what it looks like), but Uni dodges it and destroys the block of ice into bits. "We have to beat this dummy to make her listen to us."

It doesn't convince her yet, but Purple Sister replaces the worry on her face into one with sharp confidence and determination. "You're right. We'll have to force her to listen to us." She readies her weapon again and fights back.

" _I don't like this . . ._ " Rom tells me.

I shake my head. "Even I don't like this. But there's nothing we can do about it."

" _I trust Nepgear and Ram . . . They'll get her back._ "

"Count me the same then."

I turn my attention elsewhere, to the one CPU who protects Planeptune. I was distracted by the others earlier that I never noticed what she's been doing.

"I don't believe this," Compa says behind me. "Nep-Nep isn't holding back against him."

"It's expected, I guess," IF says, joining us. "But something's different about him."

"Different? What do you mean?"

"I worked with him once, didn't I tell you before?" It takes a few seconds before Compa nods to IF's statement. "He was reckless and always did something stupid when we hunted for monsters. Also," IF pauses when Purple Heart chases Maki down as he runs away from her, "he's being a lot more cautious about something."

Maki stops and turns around to face Purple Heart, who's still charging right at him. He takes out his hands that were inside his coat and throws multiple fast objects at her. Purple Heart stops her charge and pulls back when she sees the incoming objects. Once they hit the ground, I get a better look at them. They're some kind of daggers, but I've never seen them before.

"Iffy, what are those?" Compa asks.

IF shrugs. "I'm surprised myself. I've never seen him use those before. Geez, if he had a weapon before, why didn't he use them for the majority of our monster hunt?"

She's probably sounding all sarcastic to calm me down, or maybe I'm wrong. The news she gives is new to me, so I can't help but get curious.

But right as she asks the question, the daggers pierced on the ground sends out lightning, hitting Purple Heart without giving her a chance to dodge. She screams in pain, and after the shock stops, she floats in the air and doesn't move when Maki throws more daggers towards her, the blades piercing the cloth of her outfit, cutting her skin.

When Purple Heart lands on the ground, she lies there and doesn't get back up. Maki doesn't attack her anymore, but Black Heart doesn't remain a spectator and switches her target from Nana to Maki.

She gets him to pull back, and she goes to check up on her fellow CPU. "What are you doing, Neptune? Don't tell me you're being soft on him," Black Heart says.

"B-believe me when I tell you this," Purple Heart lets out a pained grunt, "I . . . I can't move."

"Can't move? What are you—" But before Black Heart can ask her, Nana throws more of her talismans at the CPU. But instead of exploding, they release some ropes and attempts to bind their target. Black Heart cut them apart in time and flies back from her enemy. "That was a dirty move. Attacking while the opponent is distracted."

"I don't care," Nana responds. "Just stop moving and let me bind you."

"Not a chance." Black Heart uses her Tornado Sword on Nana and she gets blown back into a metal pole of a street light. "You can't beat me. Just give up already." However, Maki gets right onto her face and swings one of his daggers against her sword.

" _No . . . please make them stop . . ._ "

My body's becoming warm. What is this? It doesn't hurt and it's . . . refreshing. It's like I'm floating in midair and nothing's pushing me down or stopping me. But in the next moment, I'm back in my old room with Rom beside me.

"Rom?" I ask, but she doesn't respond. She has her eyes locked onto the television screen in front of us. Rom is still moving from the looks of the screen, but I'm not in control right now. Does that mean . . .?

"Everyone . . . stop fighting!" Rom says. And it surprises me. Compa and IF hears her and try to tell her everything's fine, to calm her down. But nothing's fine with what's going on. And I'm sure Rom knows this as well. She sprints forward towards the group and transforms into her HDD, something I couldn't do at all. Not before, and not now. But she can, and she takes off in the air and readies her staff.

"Hey, look, Rom transformed!" White Sister, Ram, points out but gets knocked back with a shot from Uni.

"Rom, it's good to see you," Purple Sister says as she continues to negate Uni's shots with her own. It's working so far, but Uni's firing a lot more than Purple Sister can respond.

"I don't want my friends fighting each other . . ." Rom looks at the others. "Everyone, stop!" A large magic circle surrounds her after twirling with her staff and concentrate. It always looks interesting to see the blue-colored magic circles they cast because of their spell affinity. But there is a mix of yellow on the magic circle for some reason.

Before I can begin to wonder what it means, four colored balls appear from above and drop on four sides of the field, surrounding everyone. Two of them are colored blue, while the other two are yellow.

"I . . . won't let it continue like this. _Northern Cross!_ "

The balls of light send out streams that all connect to the center. It hits everyone, and I mean _everyone_. Including the CPUs. After the initial hit finishes, another four falls right on top of the first ones, but something else trails it from behind. Something huge.

"Th-that's—that's my _Sea of Flames_!" I say without thinking. How is she able to cast it? It's one of my unique spells, and it took me a long time to perfect it. But she's casting it no problem, plus it's mixed with her own spell. I grab the pillow near me and throw it on the other side of the room. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see my spell in use, but I don't know how I feel about it when Rom casts it like it's nothing. It wasn't nothing for me!

The Sea of Flames drags everyone away from each other and onto different areas. The CPUs except Uni are swept closer to where IF, Compa, and Rom are, while the others are dragged nearer to the Basilicom.

"How did you cast my Sea of Flames?" I ask Rom beside me. Yes, even though she's the one controlling this time around, she's still right beside me and can respond.

"I don't know . . . It just happened."

I guess she won't know about it either. But it just caught me off guard that I had to ask her. But at least it stopped the rampage between the two sides. Maki's first to get up and helps Uni get back to her feet. He looks at Rom, but I can't tell what kind of eyes—well, eye—he's making.

The others get back to their feet again after a short while and turn all of their attention to Rom.

"Ugh . . . Did—did Rom caused that?" Purple Sister asks as she helps Purple Sister back to her feet.

White Heart coughs as she removes some dust from her outfit. "That was strong, not going to lie." She looks at Rom. "Why did you hit us too? You could've done more than hurt Ram and me!" She doesn't sound angry, even though her voice has this growl in it; her tone leans more to a confused one than anything else. It makes sense why she's asking, but what Rom replies also makes sense.

"I'm sorry . . . I couldn't control it." Her confused look convinces me she's not lying.

"You don't have to worry about it," I say to the Rom beside me. "My spells are high-tier, so it will be hard to control them. Though, I am amazed you can cast them in the first place."

Once everyone gets themselves back, the air gets filled with tension yet again, making Rom's attempt to stop them almost useless.

"In any case," Green Heart begins, "they must be weakened after that attack. If we strike now, we might beat them without much troubles."

But Kyle swings his sword towards them at great speed, causing some of the CPUs to fly back from the impact. "Just tell us where the Shares are already!" He roars.

Even with blood trickling down his arms and his head, he swings around over and over again. His movements and his swings become faster and more violent than earlier, but something shines on his right hand. It's the color of apricot sticking onto his skin, but it's hard to make out of its shape.

Nana throws more talismans as the left side of her upper arm flashes a shade of azure, but instead of the talismans targeting the CPUs, three of them hover in front of her and characters replace them.

"Nana, you aren't thinking of summoning her, do you?"

"We have no choice!" Nana yells at Sylvie. "If this is what it takes, then I don't care even if I have to go this far. We . . . we just can't let it end here!" The glow on her arm emits brighter. "Just tell us where the Shares are!"

The ground shakes, the pieces of debris jump up and down, and a large, wavy magic circle replaces the characters. No, wait, it's no magic circle. It's—

"W-what is that?" Purple Heart asks as she stabs the ground to keep her balance.

"Something huge is coming. Get ready!" Black Heart declares as everyone takes a stance. However—

"That won't be necessary."

With a loud crash, Nana flies from her position and hits the ground next to Kyle. Someone knocked her out of whatever she was trying to pull out. And that someone is—

"Rivi . . .!" Kyle lunges at Maki, but midway he drops to the ground, grunting and has his hands on his arms.

"Relax. It'll make it easier for you if you stop resisting. I just need you to calm down and we can have a pleasant talk."

Kyle says nothing but raises his hands to indicate his surrender. Both of Nana's arms are being carried with Sylvie on her left and Uni on her right. Her head is downcast, so I doubt she can do anything to escape.

Maki clutches his left eye, losing his balance a bit and heaves a sigh once he got. "I'm glad that worked out. You good there, Uni?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She tilts her head to the left to get a good look at Nana's face. "I didn't expect them to become this desperate."

"Neither do I. But at least we were able to stop them."

* * *

~ **Nepstation** ~

Neptune: You're watching Nepstation! Again with your host, Neptune! I'm here today with . . .

Noire: Hello everyone.

Neptune: What did you think, Noire? Do you understand what's going on? Tell me, tell me!

Noire: Alright, just give me some space to think!

Neptune: I've never seen Maki use a weapon before. It caught me off guard! I couldn't do anything. I call hacks! He's hacking!

Noire: Don't start flailing around! Ahem, anyway, some people might have been disappointed by this outcome, but Zidawn did say it's not really about those three, right?

Zidawn: That's right. It's not over yet, though, but I'm starting to think I'm bad at making these types of scenes.

Noire: D-don't be silly. I-it's . . . good, I guess?

Neptune: Noire support for the win!

Noire: S-shut up!

Neptune: In any case—

Noire: Hey, don't just ignore me.

Neptune: With Maki stopping whatever Nana was trying to summon, what'll happen to both her and Kyle next? Well, you'll only find out once the next chapter is out.

Noire: Hmph. Until next time then, I guess.

Neptune: Buh-bye for now, everyone!


	43. Sylvie's Plan

**Chapter 43**

 _Sylvie's Plan_

The moment I step on the cold pavement of Planeptune's sidewalks, the roads where most of the vehicles are riddled with holes and cracks everywhere wherever I look. Some buildings have parts of their walls lying around the streets (or the smaller houses and buildings' roofs, which are already struggling to stop themselves from collapsing from bird-like creatures sitting on them). There might be survivors around the area, trapped or unable to help themselves. Whenever there are screams or cries around, I don't hesitate to find them. Some get away with injuries, but others aren't as lucky as them.

As much as I want to help anyone else who needs it, I can't bear to find any more unfortunate people. The only way to stop this is to head for the source of everything. But for some reason, my chest won't stop pounding from the thought. I just hope my guts are wrong.

Whatever the Gorgon Spirit told me, I don't plan on waiting around to see what'll happen next. Plus I want to know if Nana is here. Even if the Gorgon Spirit wasn't direct with me about it, anyway. She could be here—she _should_ be here. After all, Planeptune is the Land of Purple Progress.

Before arriving here, I heard from a truck driver, who was waiting around the outskirts of the city so he wouldn't get caught with the commotion, about the current situation here in the city.

"Monsters are swarmin' the city," he told me as he cowered behind the wheel of his truck. "Heard it from me boss on the radio."

"How long has this been going?" I asked him.

"Dunno. But I do know I ain't goin' back there till Lady Purple Heart do somethin' 'bout it."

"Interesting . . . Well, thanks for telling me. Stay safe." That's what I told him before heading in, but I meant it for him not to panic and hurt himself, and possibly kill himself, instead of monsters getting him first. You'd be surprised at how many people injure or kill themselves because of panic, even if the cause weren't from the monsters.

I run towards the path I remember that leads to the Basilicom. The first thing I want to do is get information from Histoire and perhaps from the CPUs if they're there.

It took me a while before realizing what the Gorgon Spirit told me about the Land of Purple Progress, though. I knew I've read it from a book at the library where Sylvie showed me, and it's a good thing I remembered otherwise I'd still be wandering around Gamindustri for who knows which moon color will it become before I find it. Oh, wait, Gamindustri only has one moon color, huh? Guess it's for who knows how many moon cycles instead? Oh, who am I kidding? I shouldn't get distracted like this.

As I make my way around a corner after passing through five blocks, I catch a glimpse of IF and Compa get captured inside the center area where a mix of light and dark pink petals are being held in place. It all happens so fast that I'm unable to act anything else other than running towards it, my eye fixated on them.

"IF, Compa!" Without realizing it, my hands reach in for the same daggers I used against the Gorgon Spirit. But an arm gets in between me and the flower, stopping me and blocking my path. A vein pops on my head, but it disappears once I hear a familiar voice.

"Don't," a soft, motherly tone says. If the tone is stern, people might mistake this as a mother who's scolding her child, but there's no hint of sternness at all.

I snatch the hand that stopped me but freeze after recognizing the familiar silver hair and half-pointed ears of the owner's hand. "Sylv? What are you doing here?" I ask, putting the other hand I have inside the inner compartment out of my coat.

"I was right. I knew I'd find you here."

The way she says things in cryptic confuses me. She knew I was here? Or did she find out from someone?

"Find me? What for?"

The giant flower shudders while closing its petals shut as it descends to the ground with IF and Compa inside it. I try to run past Sylvie to help them get out of there, but she grabs my shoulder hard and tells me to let them be. I stare at her with my eyebrows furrowed, but she's not letting me go at all. She's not joking around, is she? "What do you mean 'let them be'? They're Uni and the other's—" I pause. I shake my head and glare at Sylvie's eyes, but she responds with a smile. "They have nothing to do with this!"

"Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen to them. Count me on that. Nana only needs them to—"

"Need them for what?" The words come out with a quiver, and I don't bother to hide it. Especially when things involve Nana, who I thought Sylvie told me was waiting for me back at the temple, as well as her. "Sylv, tell me, what's the meaning of this?" I want to know. I want to know what's going on here and why everything is a disaster.

"Kyle and Nana need them to persuade the CPUs."

"You mean blackmail them?" My mind, upon hearing it however, shifts focus to the first name she mentioned. Kyle Ironblood. It doesn't sound surprising after hearing about her and Nana, but I never expect it, so it still comes out with a bit of a shock. "So, he's also here? I guess I should've expected that as well, but what are you three doing here? And where are they?" The only ones around are the few monsters lingering around the city. They aren't destroying anything per se, but I never trust these savage monsters. They never bring anything good.

"Calm down, Rivi." The way she tells me to calm down with an old nickname stirs something inside my chest. I like how she calls me that, but I also hate how she calls me that. "I can explain, so let me, will you? Soon, the CPUs will reach the Basilicom and meet with both Kyle and Nana. I'm joining them shortly after."

"Why?"

"They want something from them, and they'll do everything they can to get it. We gathered these monsters to search the whole place but failed, so our last resort is to ask them from the CPUs themselves."

"Wait, you're part of this mess? The reason this place is a disaster?"

"I won't deny that."

"I don't understand. Why are you telling me all this if you're with them? If you wanted to get whatever it is you wanted, couldn't you just—I don't know—asked for it instead? Without causing this much trouble and bringing IF and Compa into this? They have nothing to do with this." I've already caused them enough trouble in the past, and I can't forgive anyone who'll cause them trouble again. Even if it's Sylvie.

"I know that, and the CPUs will rescue them anyway so they'll be fine."

She sounds quite sure about that. I don't have any doubts with Noire and the other's fighting capabilities, and I know this from experience; I can't handle a fight against them one-on-one without any weapons (I'm pretty sure I'm already being an idiot to try to fight them with fists when I'm not a master martial artists), but Kyle never picks a fight he knows he can't win.

"That still doesn't explain why you're doing this." I just want to know why she's doing this. Anything else, I don't have a single care about. I want answers from her.

"Listen to me. Kyle and Nana don't know this, but I'm not helping them any more than this. I realized something while watching you go around with the CPUs. So, I have a plan. A plan to stop them."

"Stop them? I don't get it. You were helping them and now you're telling me you have a plan to stop them?"

Isn't she supposed to stop _me_ in the first place? The Gorgon Spirit told me she was there to stop me from heading out (even though she kind of did in the end and gave me directions), so shouldn't it be obvious they figured out she failed? But Sylvie's telling me the exact opposite.

"Well, they told me to have you join us in our cause. Hence, the reason why I'm here standing before you right here."

"Join the cause? What makes you think I'll join?"

If it was something like Sylvie's case, which is about the permit to run a business, I would gladly accept helping them. But with the buildings around here in shambles, the people either on the verge of death or unfortunate, even with our past relationships with each other, there's no way I can accept it now. There's just no way. It reminds me too much of that 'day'.

Sylvie gets closer to me and holds both of her hands on mine. Whenever I touch them, they're always cold. But right now, they're warm. I'm getting sucked in from her warmth, but her voice snaps me out of it.

"Tell me, Rivi—and I want you to be honest about this—what are we to you?"

It should be obvious, right? Does she even need to ask?

"Of course, you three are the . . . are the—" my heart grows heavy and my lip quivers. Biting my lip, I strain my throat to say the word, "you're my friends, and nothing will ever change that."

Hearing myself say it again after retiring from my travels, it's a strange noise—foreign even. I sometimes hear the word inside my head, and it usually makes my stomach upset; but hearing it with my own voice, instead of becoming upset, it's in a rage.

This, however, earns me a warm and satisfied smile from Sylvie. "I'm . . . happy to hear that from you."

It's a good thing I know how to hide these things from people. How long have I been doing it, anyway? If I judge it based on Gamindustri's time, has it been years? Decades? Or centuries? I'm not sure which one is the most accurate, but it might be one of them.

"But, Sylv, even if it's like that, what you're doing is not okay." Despite being one of my childhood friends, this isn't something I can shrug off as one of their pranks again.

"I know, and that's why I said I have a plan to stop them. But you need to trust me on this one. You might not like it once you hear it."

 _I already didn't like the things you said ever since our conversation_. The words never reach outside of my mouth. With her hands squeezing mine, it reminds me of the day we first met in that cave. When I grabbed her hands to take her out of it, she was feigning bravery. That very night, she never reached out to anyone. She could no longer trust anyone. So, I had to tell her to calm herself down.

"Remember what I told you when we first met at that cave?"

I'm not doing this to gain satisfaction.

"I . . . I don't remember. Was it when you told me to show you my bruised hands?"

I'm doing this because I want her to know I'll never abandon her even if everyone and everything turned against her. When I told her, they weren't to comfort her. It was to give her the will to keep moving.

I chuckle. "A bit later than that. I told you before and I'll say it again: no matter who you are and what you do, I'll be the first one to trust you, as you've done for me. Now, tell me the plan."

"Maki . . ." Her hands stop squeezing. She lowers her head for a while before facing me again with her usual stern stare. The one she usually shows me when she knows how to get things done. "Well . . ."

~0~0~0~

"You're kidding. You're not being serious now, are you?"

"I told you you wouldn't like it. Are you going to back off from this?"

"Yeah, not until you tell me what you wrote on that small piece of paper at the cave when we first met."

"Hey, I told you, that's private." Her face turns to a shade of pink and her hands try to hide her flushed cheeks.

I wave a nonchalant hand to her. "I'm kidding. I'm not backing off on this. I told you, didn't I? Let's do it. Oh, but I can't just waltz in there from behind them or from the Basilicom. It might work if I come from the sky. They won't expect it at all. It's perfect. But that also means I must apologize to you in advance. I'll make sure I don't go overboard."

Sylvie shakes her head. "Don't be. They won't believe it unless it also affects me. How are you going to land from above, though? Can you fly?"

"No, but I know someone who can." I grab my phone from the inside compartment of my coat and press the name of someone I know. After placing it near my ear and the beeping stops, I greet her. "Where are you right now? If you don't mind, I'd like to request something."

"Don't beat around the bush and just tell it to me straight." The voice is, without a doubt, coming from the phone, but it's also coming from behind Sylvie. A shadow looms over her, which causes her to shriek and turn around.

"Eavesdropping again?" I ask the girl, who's shorter than Sylvie, behind her.

"What of it? Was I interrupting something?" she scowls, spreading the wings on her back to stretch and revealing its feathers as dark as the night.

I look around for the other person who is supposed to be with her at all times until he is given an order.

"Lookin' for me?" Ragnor's voice resounds from behind me. But when I turn to face him, he greets me with the tail-end of his war mace. "How's you and your girlfriend hanging on after playin' around with that metal-head? Got a room yet?" He laughs, but the other girl smacks her sole on his toe. "Ow! The hell's that for, bitch?!" He rubs his foot, dropping his mace. It makes a loud thud on the ground.

I swear, he has a sharp tongue and has no fear using it on anyone, regardless of Title or status.

"S-sir Ragnor? Is—is that really you?" Sylvie stutters.

Huh? Wait a moment. Something tells me I'm missing something here.

"Do you know him?" I ask her. How does she know him? And also, sir Ragnor? Really? I keep repeating the phrase over and over again in my head and don't realize I'm holding myself back from bursting to full laughter. Ragnor doesn't ignore my reaction and scowls at me.

"Yes, I do," she answers. "But who's this girl? And why does she have wings on her back?"

Both the winged girl and I look at each other, flashing a grin. "Don't know if you know this," I start, "but she's the youngest daughter and second heir to the Soleil throne." I might be getting excited about this than necessary, but this is the first time they both met each other, so I can't help it.

"I'm Priscilla Soleil, the Fallen Serenity," she spreads her wings while running her fingers through her long, straight, black hair.

Sylvie stares at her, her mouth agape. I know I expected her surprise, but she's more surprised than I thought she would be. "Holy mother of Yggdrasil!" It's the name of her old hometown before moving to my hometown, by the way. "I didn't think I'd meet Princess Minerva's younger sister in person."

"Wait, you know about Celes—I mean, Minerva?!" Priscilla and I say in unison. Now I'm the one surprised.

She waves her hands in front of her. "My father—he would always visit the castle and took me along when I was a bit older. I met her around the Queen's Garden."

"That's surprising," I say. "This is the first time I heard you went to the castle. Let alone meeting the princess. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I did, but you never listened. It was almost a full white moon when I told you three about it."

"I-I see . . ."

"Alright, enough chattering," Priscilla announces. "Let's get over with the plan again, shall we?"

I know she hates long banters, but this is the first time I got annoyed from hearing it from her. I don't usually get this feeling. But I'm getting it today for some reason.

We go over the exact same plan as Sylvie told me. Only this time, I add about Priscilla dropping me from above and Ragnor's arrival to stop Kyle and Nana from using their last resort, the Demon Spirit and its Spiritlings.

As soon as we finish discussing, Sylvie appears in the scene below. Priscilla holds both of my hands and carries me, while Ragnor uses the shadows to lie in wait until his cue to come out arrive along with Priscilla.

"Let's see . . . Maki, was it?"

"Don't call me that."

We hover over the whole scene, watching Neptune, Nepgear, Uni, and Rom get entangled and trapped. Can't say I like what I'm seeing, but I can't let myself lose my composure and go in too early and ruin the whole plan.

"What should I call you then?" she says in a mocking tone.

"The one I told you."

She laughs with her high-pitched voice. If she wasn't Minerva's sister, I would've let go of her hand right now and jump off to scare her, but I can't fool around.

"How do you plan on fighting them without your sword?" she asks without the mocking tone this time. "Don't say you'll figure it out when you get there. Even if my sister knows you better than I do, I know enough you can't handle them without a weapon."

"Glad to hear you're worried about me, but there's nothing else I can do."

"There is one." We land on top of a nearby building to the scene where Nana pulls on Uni's hair. I feel a hand grabbing my wrist and pulls me back from the edge of the building. "Don't. It's not the time yet."

"I know," I say, but it's more directed to me than to her. "But I'm losing patience here."

"I'll be the one to decide when you'll go."

I nod, and she continues.

"Use those daggers. You'll stand a better chance if you fight with them."

"No," I answer without thinking or stuttering.

"This is not a request."

"Even so, my answer won't change."

"You won't last until the sun moved an inch for the plan to work. Do you want to let that half-elf down?"

"She already let everyone down," I say. Priscilla opens her mouth, but I add another statement before she makes hers. "And so did I."

The warm breeze moves her wings as she sighs. "I have nothing else to say. It seems you already know the answer." She spreads her wings as the fight below us begins.

She extends both of her hands and I take them.

How many times have I rejected but meant the opposite? What am I even thinking now? But since we've already let everyone down, I might as well add it even more. To survive this fight—no, to win this war, I need to make sacrifices. And for this war, in particular, I'll need to make an exception with my Mad Jester's Daggers.

In a heartbeat, one I thought could have stayed silent forever instead, Priscilla and I take off from the roof of the building and hover above their fight, waiting until Sylvie gives us the cue.

I remove one hand from Priscilla's grip and keep it in place right on top of my eyepatch.

"I'll dye your neck in red if you got me in that," she tells me not with her usual aggressive tone, but a casual tone. When was the last time I heard her like this?

"Don't worry. It'll end sooner before you make any appearance." I mean it. I can't let Sylvie down now that I told her to trust me.

At this point, the clashes below turn silent. Sylvie makes her way and uses a message charm on Uni.

~0~0~0~

"For this plan to work," Sylvie says after Priscilla's arrival with Ragnor, "we need Uni to cooperate with us on this."

"Won't that run a risk of the others overhearing the plan? And what if she refuses?" Priscilla asks.

"It won't, and she will help us. I'm sure of it. Also, I have this." Sylvie pulls out a black card. The same size as the one I saw in a whole pack along with more of its kinds but with different pictures and numbers and shapes.

"Whoa, neat—" Priscilla slaps her mouth and coughs. "It looks interesting, but how does this piece of paper work? I'm sensing excited magic energy flowing around it, but it's not the same kind as the common magical energies wizards and witches have."

Sylvie beams and twists the card around her fingers. "I'll demonstrate. Don't worry, this isn't the only one I have."

"Entertain me, then."

With her approval, Sylvie whispers something to the card and throws it to Priscilla's direction. The card explodes, revealing the letters forming in the air to spell the words wrapped in flames: _You can't have him._

After I read the message for about three times, the letters burn and fade into ashes. I don't understand what the message meant, but Priscilla growls while her cheeks turn into a strong shade of red as she glares at Sylvie; and Ragnor, on the other hand, goes on all fours, releasing his obnoxious and hearty laugh without a care in the world yet again.

I have no idea what the message is supposed to mean, but Ragnor and Priscilla never explain it to me no matter how many times I pester them and give up trying.

~0~0~0~

"It's time," Priscilla says from above, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"You can let go of me now. Get in position and wait until it's your turn to come out."

She releases the remaining hand of mine holding onto hers and flies off into position somewhere below where no one can see her. As I fall, the CPUs and Sylvie's group ready themselves to fight again, but I activate 'it' before they get a chance to clash blades once more.

Placing the eyepatch back in place, I land on the ground with a great thud, creating smoke around me.

It's a good thing they can't see me because I'm still trying to get rid of the shock moving from my feet to my head. I've gotten quite rusty at making these landing. It might be good to retrain myself sooner or later, but I need to focus on other things first.

I fix my posture once the shock fades and scan the area around for Uni. When I find her clutching her head on the ground, I approach her to tell her about the next part of the plan. She should get the gist of things after seeing Sylvie's message.

However, the closer I get to her, Noire's blade flies straight towards me while she yells, "Get away from her!"

It forces me to duck and kneel to dodge it.

I look at Noire, but if I look at her like the usual times whenever our eyes meet, she might not believe I'm a threat. And I can't look at her with pity especially, or she might catch on.

To counter that, I remember the event where Priscilla got her hands on a small notebook from the small bag I left behind when I went out to get them drinks to recreate the same stare I gave her back then. And judging from Noire and the other's reactions, it works.


	44. Who are They to Me?

**Chapter 44**

 _Who are They to Me?_

"—!" A sharp sting courses through my entire left arm. This is bad. I made sure Sylvie, Priscilla, and especially Ragnor, wouldn't see I had an injury, but I might have pushed it a bit too much than I could handle. It's numb. It's numb to the point I can't move it anymore. Well, I can still move it, but the recoil could bite me back. But I can't back out now because of this.

I can't lose any more than I have now.

There's a part of the plan where Sylvie will force them to lose trust in me. I never liked it, but she said it's necessary.

As I try to regain my composure, Sylvie's question about who was she, Nana and Kyle, and it also goes for Uni and the other CPUs, plus IF and Compa and also Histoire, comes forth in my mind once again, plaguing me.

Nepgear was the first one I met before meeting Compa, Neptune, and then IF. I never got the chance to know them better than I have now, but after Compa found out about 'it' I couldn't look at her eye-to-eye for a while. Has she told any of them about 'it' yet? I let her go to make that decision on her own when I left for Lastation. I was also expecting she'd tell them at some point. You could also say it was some form of test without a right answer.

The other CPU's however, I never got to know much other than Noire and Uni. I planned on getting to know all of them, taking a look at each of their nations, but with this whole thing happening, it's nothing but a distant dream.

What does Vert like? How does she act? What food does she like? Or drinks? Is she hiding any secrets from others? I don't know, and I probably will never know.

Blanc has some anger issues. I can tell after she verbally and almost physically abused me, but was she always like that? What made her like that? I also don't know, and I probably will never know.

The twins—how close are they to each other? I rarely saw them go around doing things together. What do they like? Do they enjoy staying as kids? Or do they want to grow up as fast as possible? I, again, don't know, and I probably will never know.

That's how much I know them. It's pathetic. I'm pathetic.

Should I have focused on getting to know them instead of following Sylvie around? Or perhaps if I chose not to go look for Nana when I heard of her, would I have been at Lowee? Or Leanbox?

I shake my head and approach Uni.

"You good there?" I ask Uni, who still has her hands on her head, in a low volume for the others not to hear.

"I'm alright, but tell me what to do already. Sylvie already told me to trust her on this, and you, so you better be grateful."

"Thank you. Now, all you need to do is fight your fellow Candidates to buy time. You can ask for my help if they're too much for you to handle."

"Heh, don't need it. I've been itching to have a serious fight with them. Nepgear holds back sometimes since we're friends and all."

 _Who are they to me?_ As I switch my gaze to Noire, who reciprocates with a sharp one of her own, the question floats around my mind again and again. _There's no need to worry about what they_ think. I always tell this over and over again to myself after stepping into this world called Gamindustri. But for some reason, seeing them look at me with disgust and mistrust makes my heart ache. I need to make an extra effort to prevent myself from wavering my stare at them; I want to look away but can't.

It's a good thing they're distracted because of me, but it's only a matter of time before they snap out of it.

Who are they to me? If I answer the question to them the same way I told Sylvie, the answer won't sound genuine enough to convince them or me. It's wrong to put them in the same footing as Sylvie, Nana and, Kyle; and they deserve better than that.

Instead of answering without a single thought about it, I prefer to have enough nights to collect my thoughts and maybe I can come to a conclusion.

But Vert doesn't even give me the leisure of having a single night.

"Have you ever considered any of us as friends? Even a little?"

I want to bite my lip until the taste of iron fills my mouth again, I really do. But I can't waver. Not now.

"I'm not obligated to answer your question."

It's the only answer I can think of that doesn't lead to a far misunderstanding. Though, I doubt they'll reach a better conclusion.

 _I'm sorry._ I keep saying this in my mind. That's right, it's something I can't voice out, and it probably never will leave the realm of my thoughts at all. Not anymore. Not until this is over. Until everything's been resolved. I have to be strong, for them and for myself.

If they ever plan to shun me or exile me once everything calms down, there's nothing I can do but let it happen. But, hey, if it happens, there won't need to worry about me anymore. I'll have enough nights to find another place to call home. As I did for the home I got in Lluna—my only home until now. Somewhere similar to Lunelit Forest. Somewhere where no one will find me. Somewhere where I can live the rest of my days without anyone who'll miss me.

I'll disappear, and I'm fine with that. I've already made too many sacrifices and broke my oaths, so this is my punishment.

If I ever do find a forest, there won't be a meddlesome Alice, the shopkeeper of Aurora village, who'll provide me with tea leaves in exchange for labor.

Where have those days gone?

Vert and the others, upon hearing my answer, ready their stances and raise their weapons. With a loud cry of the wind, the fight continues.

Nepgear hesitates to fight Uni until Ram snaps her out of it.

Noire, on the other hand, throws herself to me with her sword in hand. I don't like to do this as well, but Priscilla insists I use my daggers. The Mad Jester's Daggers. It's not a weapon I ever want to use, especially against people, but I've already made too many exceptions to worry about that now.

Blocking Noire's strike with the blade of my dagger, I push her away, pull back, and increase the distance between us.

I still remember what Vert did to me back on those days where we had our picnic. I never hated her for it. If anything, she gave me the idea that no one should take them lightly. And I haven't fought with other people ever since I stopped traveling and arrived in Gamindustri, so I don't want to get into an all-out duel against any of them; I'll lose in an instant.

There's no chance of winning. Not with my left arm about to collapse at any time.

But I don't need to win. All I need to do is to give enough time until the next phase of our plan comes into play.

That said, it's easier said than done. For a couple of clashes against her, I'm able to throw daggers with both of my hands, with one lagging behind a lot more than the other, but at some point the throbs on my injured arm becomes worse, so I have to resort to throwing with only one arm.

"Get ready!" I shout, throwing a handful of daggers on the ground below Neptune. The paralysis effect activates, sending out bolts of lighting, and renders her immobile. With a kick of my foot, I send her to the ground. I apologize to her again in my head for doing something so sly.

When it's Noire's turn to face me, however, she gives me no room to breathe and dishes out a series of slashes and thrusts. I dodge some, but the rest rips the fabric of my coat and grazes my skin.

She strikes down a slice, leaving me no room to deflect it. The impact pushes me back, and a small stream of blood trickles down on the sleeve of my white coat.

"Guh . . .!" I made a mistake. The arm she hit me was my left arm, and it still hadn't recovered from my encounter with the Gorgon Spirit.

I'm done for if it goes on like this.

But to my luck, she pulls back. She fails to see the single dagger I let fall in the middle of her relentless attacks earlier and bolts of lightning surround her.

As I try to use this opportunity to immobilize her like I did with Neptune, Rom's voice overpowers the noises from the other fights.

"I . . . can't let it end like this. _Northern Cross!_ "

The next thing happens so fast, I barely get enough blinks in to see a large wave of water in a shade of deep red behind four more balls of light after the first ones.

I brace for impact, but there's no way I can block a large body of water about to hit me. The force drags me along until my back hits the large window of the Basilicom. After collecting myself, I help Uni, who also got dragged right next to me. She doesn't have any major injuries as I do. The endless throbbing of my left arm grows worse as time goes by, however, and it gives me no time to prepare myself for it. I can't hide the pained expression I have from Uni, but I can at least hide it from the others.

"Are you all right?" Uni asks in a whisper.

"I, urgh, I can't do much with my arm hurting like this, but it's nothing fatal. I'll be fine. There's still something we need to do."

I reach in my coat for my daggers again, but Kyle shouts, "Just tell us where the Shares are already!" Something glows on his right hand. It looks like a Mark, but I'm not sure. But it couldn't be it, though. That's impossible.

However, when Nana raises her arms forward with a talisman on each hand. Her left upper arm shines a bright azure color with another shape. The outline and the way it's shining is too similar to the Marks, but that's still impossible to happen.

They never had any of those when we were still hanging out back then. What could they be?

The ground trembles after Nana hears Kyle's command to summon something. But there's no doubt what it is. It's the one Sylvie told me before putting our plan into action.

The Demon Spirit, and its Spiritlings.

If she summons them now, Planeptune will become a city of ruins. But that's why Sylvie had us do her plan in the first place.

With a nod from Sylvie, I run towards Kyle.

There's a problem, though. With my current state, there's no way I can restrain any of them. But I don't need to. Amongst the confusion, I throw a single dagger to the sky with my only working arm. It bursts into a red ball of light, giving the last signal needed for those two to come out from hiding.

Without a moment's delay, Ragnor jumps out of hiding and knocks Nana away with the head of his spiked war mace that can also act as a chain flail. Priscilla, on the other hand, glides from above and traps Kyle's feet with ice from her weapon after he tries to lunge at me but fails.

I take a deep breath as the ground stops shaking and only the sound of a few rubbles hitting the ground remains.

"Actually, now that I think about it," Priscilla asks as she lands next to me, "was it really necessary to go through all of that just to restrain them like this? We could've opted to restrain them from the very start."

I chuckle and shake my head. "If I tell you it would've been as easy as that, then I'd be lying. Kyle and Nana are smarter than you think."

"Wish I'd see it for myself."

"It's already too late for that. It's all over. There's no reason for you to be disappointed."

She shrugs and leaves to talk to Ragnor, who is twirling and twisting his mace like there's no tomorrow. When Priscilla talks to him, he lets out a big yawn, in which Priscilla answers with a stomp on his toe.

"Ow! The hell's that fer, bitch?!"

Sylvie walks up to me. "Want to talk to them?"

I nod. There are things I want to know, but at least with this, our plan is a success.

~0~0~0~

Noire was indeed strong, but I underestimated her. I could've lost another working arm or worse if I hadn't been careful around her. If there's anything involving fighting any of them again, I'll call out. I don't want to go through that again, and their frightening strength isn't the sole reason why. Though, I've got to say, I haven't gotten something this exciting in a long while. It's quite refreshing, to say the least. Even if I did have a useless arm in the end.

But I'll save that for another time. Right now, we still have something to do with Nana and Kyle, who I told Sylvie and Uni to have them both kneel in front of me. I don't mean to make about anything with it, but maybe now I can say I know how it feels to be king.

There are a lot of questions swirling around my head, to the point where it's hard to pick which one to go first. Kyle, however, asks something himself first before I do.

"Is this how this will end? And to think Rivi, of all people, would do this to us?" He closes his eyes, a calm expression on his face.

"How could you?" Nana asks me next. "I thought we were friends."

Something twists in my stomach. It's more painful and hard to ignore than last time, and maybe it's because of them two and the words coming out of their mouths.

"My thoughts exactly," I say, taking a deep breath before sighing. It doesn't help remove the weight on my chest, however. "What you've done here is unforgivable."

There are still those Marks on their hands and their arms I want to know about. In the first place, how did they get them? How do they have it at all? It makes no sense at all. The Mark can't affect humanoids—it's impossible.

Nepgear, however, beats me first to ask them questions. She's done this many times already, but it's the least of my concerns at the moment.

"Why did you go this far just for Shares? If you're that determined to get them, why attack us? Couldn't you have just asked it from us calmly instead?"

Her question sounds reasonable, but . . .

"Tell me, then, if we did, would you let us?" Nana asks.

"Of course we will, right?" Nepgear asks her fellow CPUs but no one gives her their answers. They stand still, doing nothing. "Ah . . ."

"It's useless. No one in their right mind would help strangers like us."

Strangers like us. That's right, to them, to the CPUs, they're nothing but strangers. They don't know anything about them. Just like me; I'm still a stranger. Noire and Uni are the only two who got to know a bit of me, but is it enough to say we're not strangers anymore? I've lost their trust, and I've lied to them. I don't deserve to step over that boundary. And it's probably what Nana's thinking as well.

Nepgear lowers her head. She must not have an answer to that, but Noire steps up and asks them:

"Why do you need them in the first place? CPUs need Shares, and I doubt any of you are CPUs to need them," Noire says.

"I'm not answering you," Nana replies.

"Someone told us we needed them to complete the process."

"Kyle . . .?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. We've already lost everything. Just answer their questions and be done with it."

Nana sobs from his harsh tone. I want to tell Kyle that he was being too mean about it, but Nana might not appreciate the concerns I'm giving her stopping them from getting their goals. And besides, I'm in no position to tell them what they can or cannot do. They'll never listen to me.

"Who told you?" Vert asks next.

"The one who gave us this." Kyle puts his arm forward and let something sticking onto his skin, with its apricot glow, shine for everyone to see. Three overlapping diamonds with a large snowflake behind them; it's a shape I've never seen before. Not once have I ever seen a shape like this one. Nana does the same thing and puts her arm forward, a faint glow of azure color on the shape of two folding fans' edges connecting to the other; and Sylvie rolls the right short sleeve of her turquoise gown to show a pair of bird wings with the same color of her emerald eyes.

"Aren't those the same one that Killachine had before?" Uni asks me.

"They're similar, but not the same."

"What do you mean?"

Even I'm not so sure myself. I can make guesses, but there's no way I can know if they are also Marks or something else entirely.

"Tell them Maki," Kyle says.

He wants me to explain? I don't know what they are in the first place. They can't be Marks. And I've been saying this again and again, but humanoids can't receive Marks.

Kyle stands up and places his hands on my shoulders. The way he looks at me still has the same indifference, but his fingers tremble through the sleeve of my coat.

"You do know, do you not?"

I shake my head.

What's up with him? Is it really surprising that I don't know at all?

He turns to Sylvie. "Didn't you tell him?"

She doesn't answer.

"You didn't? You never told him? Why didn't you?" He lets go of my shoulders and stands face-to-face with Sylvie.

She sighs. "It's just as you said, it doesn't matter anymore."

"But why?!" Kyle's indifferent tone mixes with a choke.

I'm starting to feel like I'm missing out on something here. The way Sylvie worded it, it sounded like she's already given up on something. Why, though? We've already succeeded in stopping them from summoning the Demon Spirit. Why does she sound so defeated?

"Sylv, tell me." I can't go on without knowing what they're talking about any longer. "What are you hiding from me?"

She looks away and casts her head down. After a long pause, she answers, "You can't lie to yourself."

A crease form on my forehead. "Lie to myself? What do you mean?"

Removing her black silk gloves, Sylvie grabs both of my hands, intertwining our fingers together. When I look at them, they're shaking much more than Kyle's earlier. Is Sylvie scared? The shaking doesn't stop, and she grips my hands tighter. The fierce look on her eyes as she looks at mine, they're eyes full of confidence. Not a single flicker of doubt or fear.

"I've been waiting until you ask me, but you never did. But I'll tell you this now: You know it better than we do, Rivi. You shouldn't lie to yourself anymore."

It hits me when she calls me with that nickname again. A nickname I had long turned my back on. A nickname I had long forgotten. A nickname I had long abandoned after my mother did so with me.

When I heard her call me with that nickname again on our encounter in Lastation, it made me blind to the other things I also forgotten. Other things I . . . chose to never question about. Maybe I'm the one who's not accepting it, because no matter what, I can't turn myself from this fact, and it's a fact I already knew but failed to recognize.

Sylvie's right. I'm lying to myself.

Perhaps I never wanted to ask her after realizing for so long. I was avoiding it. And now, I can't escape from it any longer. Not when Sylvie's being direct with me right now. Her next words, however, snaps me back to reality.

"You know this better than we do. Kyle, Nana, and I—we're dead."


End file.
